


Born in the Light of a Winter's Day

by pandorabox82



Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: F/M, Gen, Penelope/Erin friendship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-14
Updated: 2013-05-15
Packaged: 2017-12-11 20:49:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 52,514
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/803134
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pandorabox82/pseuds/pandorabox82
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Penelope 'accidentally' finds out the Strauss has cancer, she makes it her mission to befriend the woman. Who knew all the perks that reaching out would bring to her life?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Alas, how easily things go wrong!

Penelope glanced down at her watch for the fifth time in as many minutes. Her doctor was really running behind today, and she was already twenty minutes past her appointment. Looking back up, through the frosted glass that separated the waiting room from the office and exam rooms, she saw a familiar silhouette standing in front of the office worker. Penelope pricked up her ears, straining to hear if she was right.

"Dr. Zarbeck said she would leave you the name of the oncologist she wanted me to see."

It was her voice and Penelope felt her brain kick into overdrive. Why would she be needing a cancer doctor? Was it serious? And why did she care? After all, the woman hated her team. But cancer was nothing to wish on anyone.

"Penelope?" her nurse said and she stood up, following her into the back. She looked over towards where Erin stood as they walked. The other woman turned and looked at Penelope, her eyes red-rimmed. Penelope quickly looked away and followed her nurse into the exam room. "Please change into this gown, Dr. Zarbeck will be right in."

Penelope nodded and undressed quickly, putting on the thin gown. She climbed up on the table and spread the paper blanket over her legs. "Hey Dr. Z, how's it going?" she asked as the woman bustled into the room.

"Busy. I'm sorry I'm so late getting to you today. I was with another patient."

"Was it Erin Strauss?" Penelope asked as she put her heels up in the stirrups. Her doctor looked at her sharply. "She's my boss at the FBI. Is she okay?"

Dr. Zarbeck sighed. "I can't tell you that, Penelope. You know that."

"I don't want to know specifics, it's just, she looked so devastated."

"She needs a friend right now, that's all I can say." Dr. Zarbeck concluded the exam in silence and Penelope got dressed once she'd left. She drove back to the office, Erin still on her mind.

*~~*~~*

"Hey Mama."

"Hi Derek," she said absently, smiling slightly at him.

"What's wrong? Did something happen at your appointment?"

"Oh, no, I'm fine. It's just I'm running behind since my appointment was late. Anything happen while I was gone?"

"No, though I think Rossi is going to brief a case now that you're back."

"All right, just let me grab my pad, and I'll be ready to go." She went up to her office and picked up the pad from her desk. Morgan knocked and she followed him in to the conference room. As Rossi spoke, she tried to take notes, but found herself remembering those haunted blue eyes.

"Wheels up in thirty. Garcia, we'll call you for that information once we're under way," Hotch said as they all stood up. She nodded and went back to her office. AS she started the search for Alpha team, she decided to do something very foolish.

"Okay, God, do not let me get caught. This is for a good cause, I promise," she said under her breath as she hacked into Dr. Zarbeck's medical records. She opened up Chief Strauss's file and looked at her most recent results. "Oh, Erin," she whispered, putting her hand over her heart as she struggled not to cry.

Her phone rang and she touched her Bluetooth to answer it. "Hey, Baby Girl, what have you found out for us about this case?" Morgan asked.

"Oh, yeah, your case. One second, Sugar," she responded as she rolled over to her main computer, looking at the results.

"Are you sure you're okay, Penelope? It's not like you to be so spacy. Did Dr. Zarbeck give bad news to you?"

"No, I'm fine. It's just a case another of the teams is working on. It's not going to end well at all." She scrolled through the data and told him the relevant details. "If you need anything else, just call." She hung up and pulled off her glasses, rubbing her eyes free of tears. Someone knocked on her door and she looked up. "Come in."

The door opened, and she heard a somewhat familiar voice. "Chief Strauss would like to see you in her office," Margaret, her assistant, said. "I would make it the sooner the better, if I were you. She is in rare form today."

"Of course, Margaret." She took off the Bluetooth and set it on the desk, following her out. The walk down the hall seemed to take forever as Penelope wondered what Erin could possibly want. Hesitantly, she knocked on her door and waited.

"Enter!" Penelope could hear the impatience in her voice and opened the door, plastering on what she hoped was a charming smile. "Ah, Ms. Garcia, please come in." Penelope nodded, closing the door behind her.

"Margaret said you wanted to see me, Ma'am?"

"Yes, about earlier today."

Penelope swallowed and took a seat across the desk from Erin. Knowing what she knew, she wanted to envelop the other woman in a hug, but knew that would be the worst of her misdeeds that day. "What about earlier?" she asked, still smiling.

"I would appreciate if you kept my momentary lack of control to yourself. I know you have a penchant for trying to fix to things, but I do not need to be fixed. I just need to be left alone. Do I make myself clear, Ms. Garcia?"

Her smile faltered a little and she took a deep breath. "As crystal, Ma'am. May I return to my work now?"

"Yes." Penelope watched her look out the window of her office as she stood. Hastily, she uncrossed her fingers and smoothed her skirt. Erin may think she wants to be left alone, she thought as she walked back to her office, but she'll need someone to support her through this ordeal.

As she sat down in front of her computers, she began to plan the first step in her befriending of Erin Strauss. While her other searches ran, she looked up a local florist and ordered a lovely orchid arrangement to be delivered to Erin the next day, though she marked nothing in the box for a message. It would be best not to raise her ire too much, after all.

As the day went on, she found herself focusing often on Erin and her predicament. Dr. Zarbeck had marked the diagnosis as being stage IIc ovarian cancer. That sounded serious to Penelope and she used the rest of her day to look up information on the cancer. She did not like the looks of the survival rate on this stage of the disease, not one bit.

At the end of her day, she shut the system down and went out to Ester. Erin was standing next to her own car, and Penelope caught her eye and waved, smiling gently. Erin looked quickly away and got in her car, driving off.

Penelope shook her head and got in, driving to her apartment. It would take time to break down the walls she had put up, buy Penelope was not about to give up. While she nuked a tray of lasagna, she dialed Morgan.

"Hey, Mama, what's up?" he asked as she sat on the couch.

"Not much. How's the case going?"

"Better than planned. We'll probably be home the day after tomorrow."

"That's good. Say, what would you think about laying off Strauss for a few months?"

"What? Have you been taking something, Baby Girl? You know she hates us."

"Yes, but maybe we should make the effort to be nice. It could make all the difference. And the team looks to you, Derek. Even Hotch respects how you can read people. Honey, it would mean a lot to me if we did this." She heard Derek sigh and pressed forward. "I'm not saying to be her best friend, just be a tad bit nicer."

"I'm not going to make you any promises, but I suppose, if it means this much to you, I can try. May I at least ask why we're doing this?"

"No. You'll just have to trust me on this for right now. Okay?"

"Only for you, Baby Girl. Have a good night."

"You too, Sugar." She hung up and ate, and then changed into pajamas before logging onto her blog. After she'd updated it, she made her way over to her bed and crawled in. She turned on her side and stared into the darkness of her apartment. She was going to make this work.

She looked at her watch the next morning, and saw it was just about time for the flowers to be delivered. She waited a few more minutes, and then picked up her phone and dialed Margaret's number. "Section Chief Strauss's office, may I help you?"

"Hey Margaret, did she get the orchids yet?"

"Oh my god, that was you? She thought Philip sent them."

"Well, don't tell her it was me. I just wanted to make her week a little brighter. Did it work?" she asked, biting her lip as she waited for Margaret to respond.

"Yes. She loved them."

"Wonderful. Thanks, Margaret."

"No, thank you, Penelope." She hung up, and Penelope leaned back in her chair, a smile on her lips. Step one had gone well. Penelope spent the rest of the day humming happily as she found information for her teams.

*~~*~~*

She was still humming when she walked out to her car. Seeing Erin standing next to Esther, a slight frown on her lips, stopped the song on her lips. "Can I help you, Chief Strauss?"

"I called Philip to thank him for the orchids. Funny thing is, he never sent me any flowers today. Would you care to shed some light on the subject?"

"I wouldn't know anything about the flowers, Ma'am. Perhaps Margaret wanted to cheer you up a little. Doesn't anyone do anything nice for you?" she asked as she reclined on Esther, looking at Erin.

Erin blushed faintly, but didn't take her eyes off Penelope. "Not without there being strings attached. One day you'll learn that, Ms. Garcia."

"I hope I never learn that, Ma'am. People are better than you imagine them to be. All nice things do not carry hidden agendas. And maybe, just maybe, someone cares about you enough to want your day to be better than the one before." Penelope was surprised to find herself crying, and she swiped at the tears, looking away from Erin.

"And why would someone be as foolish as all that?"

Penelope looked up into Erin's eyes. "Because friendship is foolish, Erin. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to get home."

She went to open her car door when she felt Erin's hand on her arm. "I'm dying."

"Erin Strauss, you are not dying! That's it, screw going home right now. Get in this car and we are going out for a cup of coffee. And do not think I will take no for an answer."

Erin sighed, but did as ordered. Penelope drove to the closest coffee shop and they went in. While Erin ordered, Penelope found them a table. "I hope you don't mind Earl Grey tea. It was that or chai, and I abhor chai."

"This will be fine. Now, what make you think you're dying? It's not like the cancer is stage III or worse." Her eyes widened as Erin's narrowed and she took a quick sip of too hot tea, scalding her tongue.

"Penelope." She knew that tone of voice. Morgan used it when she'd pushed things just a tad too far.

"What?" she asked innocently, smiling at Erin.

"I don't think I want to know what you did to know what you know. Why would you even care about what I'm going through?"

"Honestly?" Erin nodded. "You looked so devastated yesterday, that I felt my heart break a little for you. And yes, I do have a penchant for fixing things, but it's people I care about the most." She reached out and gently touched Erin's hand. "You're too strong a woman to give up so easily. Have you even spoken to the oncologist Dr. Zarbeck recommended yet?"

"No. My first appointment with him is Monday. I haven't told Philip or the children yet. I don't know what to tell them."

"Then don't say anything until you get word from the oncologist. Or, at least the children should be told once you know everything." Penelope took another sip of tea. "Are you going to have Philip go with you Monday?"

"No, I'll go alone. I wouldn't want to worry him yet." Erin sipped at her tea, a sad smile on her face.

"Let me go with you, please."

Erin looked at her and then back down at the mug. "I'm strong enough to go alone."

"It's not a question of strength. You are going to get literally life changing news on Monday, and you should have someone there with you. Also, if it were me, well, I'm not someone really close to you. That might make it a little easier."

"Nothing about this is going to be easy, Penelope."

They both sighed at the same time, and Penelope giggled slightly. "So, is there a yes somewhere in my future?"

Erin nodded once, sharply, and Penelope smiled at her. "The appointment is at eleven, and we'll need to leave the office at quarter after ten. And do not…"

"…tell anyone. I know. It will be our little secret." They finished their tea in silence, and then Penelope drove Erin back to the parking garage. She went right up to Erin's car, idling while she got out.

"Penelope?"

"Yes, Erin?"

"Thank you for the orchids. They're beautiful." A fleeting, joyful, smile crossed her lips and Penelope grinned back. It was a start, and a good one at that.


	2. A sigh too much, a kiss too long

Monday morning came around and Penelope felt herself growing more nervous by the minute. For the tenth time that morning, she smoothed her skirt, looking at her watch as she did so. It was almost time, so she stood and went over to Hotch's office. She saw that he was working on some paperwork as she knocked on the open door.

"Good morning, Penelope. What can I do for you?"

"I'm taking an early and long lunch today, Sir. I most likely will not be back in the office until after one."

He looked up at her, concern in his eyes. "Is everything all right? I heard part of Morgan's conversation with you last week, about your appointment with Dr. Zarbeck. Did everything come back normal?" he asked, reaching out to touch her hand.

"I'm fine, honestly. I just am looking out for a friend right now. I hope you can understand that."

"Of course. Take all the time you need today. I'll have another of the techs cover for you if Strauss asks any questions."

"Thank you, Hotch," she replied, squeezing his hand. She left his office and exited the BAU, going down the hall to Erin's office. Margaret smiled at her and had her sit in one of the chairs.

"She'll be right out, Penelope. She just received a call from Assistant Director McCarthy." Penelope nodded and pulled out her tablet, reading the news of the day. A few minutes later, the door opened and Penelope stood up, smiling slightly. Erin nodded and together, they left the room.

Almost instinctively, Penelope hung a step behind Erin, only to have her pause and let her catch up. "We walk together." Penelope looked at her, her brow furrowing slightly. "Don't make me repeat myself."

"Yes, Ma'am," she replied, smiling slightly more widely. They got in her car and Erin handed her a print out of the directions. "Oh."

"What?"

"I'm sort of directionally challenged," she answered, biting her lip.

"All you have to do is read the turn by turns. Pretend you're a human GPS." Penelope snorted and then burst into giggles. Erin shook her head. "You sound like my Lizzie."

"She's your oldest, right?" Erin nodded. "Well, that's a nice comparison to hear. So, turn right out of the parking ramp. I suppose I can muddle through these and get us there." In her head, she was beaming at being compared to one of Erin's children.

They made it to the doctor's office with eight minutes to spare, and Penelope took a seat while Erin checked in. Erin sat next to her, thrusting her purse into Penelope's lap. While Penelope watched, Erin filled out the paperwork, her leg tapping out a nervous beat.

Gently, Penelope touched her arm, and Erin looked up at her, returning the small smile on Penelope's lips. "I forgot to ask, what's your oncologist's name?"

"Elijah Wormeldorf. He comes highly recommended. I followed your lead and checked him out on the internet." She clutched the clipboard to her chest and looked down at her lap. "He's the best, but…"

Penelope dared enough to cover Erin's hand with her own. "The best is exactly what you need." She was surprised to feel Erin's fingers move against hers, clasping her hand.

A few minutes passed, and then a nurse came from out back. "Erin?" They both stood and followed her back to an office. "Dr. Wormeldorf will be here in a few minutes. He's just finishing up with another patient"

Erin nodded, and Penelope pulled out her iPhone. She opened her notepad app and set their purses on the floor next to her feet. "You listen, I'll take notes. That way, if you or Philip have any questions, you have something to reference."

She watched Erin visibly relax at her words. "Thank you."

The door opened and a young man came in. "Good morning, I'm Dr. Wormeldorf, but you can call me Eli, if you wish. My last name is a bit of a mouthful." He shook both of their hands. "Well, shall I begin with some good news?"

Erin cocked her head and looked at him. "There's good news?"

"Yes, indeed. Dr. Zarbeck did diagnose the ovarian cancer correctly, but she was a little hasty in marking it as being IIc. Based on your test results, I would put it at being borderline IIb. Still not good, but better."

Penelope looked up at him and smiled. "That means the five year survival rate goes up, right?"

"Yes, it does. Now what I'd like to do, treatment-wise, it this – first, you'll need a full hysterectomy, to take out the breeding ground of this cancer. After this, I want to follow up with eight weeks of chemotherapy."

Erin blanched and nodded. "When would you like to do the surgery?"

"As soon as possible. This is an aggressive form of cancer, and the sooner we get the ovaries out, the better." He looked down at his calendar. "My surgical team could do the procedure on Friday, at eight in the morning. I'll keep you in the hospital until Monday, but you'll need to lay off from strenuous activity for the entire week."

Penelope's thumbs flew as she took down his words. "When would the chemo treatments begin?" she asked, not looking up from the screen.

"That following week. The sooner we start the chemo, the more effective it will be." He paused and looked at her until she looked up at him. "Who are you, again?"

Penelope opened her mouth to speak, but Erin pre-empted her. "This is my colleague, Penelope Garcia. My husband couldn't get time off and she wouldn't let me come here alone."

Dr. Wormeldorf smiled at her, and she smiled back. "She was right. It's always nice to have someone to be there for you at a time like this. Do you have any other questions I can answer at this time?"

"Not that I can think of, Dr. Elijah. I suppose I'll see you Friday, then."

"Yes, I will. My office assistant will give you some information and instructions for then. It was nice to meet both of you." He stood and left the room.

Erin turned to Penelope, her bottom lip quavering a little. "Well, that was not how I was planning on spending the weekend." Her eyes welled up and she bit her lip to keep from crying.

Penelope put her phone in her purse and leaned forward towards Erin, holding out her hands. She took them in her own, squeezing tightly. "It's supposed to rain this weekend anyway. May I come see you? I know you'll have Philip by your side for the surgery, but, well, may I?"

"Somehow, I don't think anything I could say would keep you away. But if you're seeking my permission, you have it." She sighed lightly. "Are you always this persistent?"

"Pretty much. So, shall we head to lunch now?"

The stood and Erin smoothed her skirt, taking her purse from Penelope. "Don't you need to get back to the office?"

"No, see, Hotch got one of the other techs to cover for me, to you. He said I could take as much time as I needed. This is actually quite perfect." She smiled brilliantly at Erin and watched her fight to suppress her own smile.

"Fine, we'll head over to The Ivy."

"Really? I've always want to go there," Penelope said as they went down the hall to the checkout desk. The office assistant handed Erin a thick set of papers and she hesitantly took them, folding the sheaf to put them in her purse.

"It's a lot of information, we know. But please try to read it all before your procedure. The instructions for what to do in the twenty-four hours before your surgery are on page one. Have a nice day." She smiled at them, and Penelope smiled back, noticing Erin look anywhere but at the woman behind the desk.

Once they were outside, she turned to Erin. "So, what would you recommend at The Ivy?" She tried to conceal her excitement, but felt she was failing.

"It all depends on what you like. I will most likely order something light. My appetite seems to have fled in the last little bit." Penelope looked over at her boss and saw the tears she'd been trying to hold in were falling down her face. "Have a nice day? Really?"

They stopped walking and Penelope held out her arm, not expecting anything to happen. Then Erin turned to her and stepped close, almost reaching out to her. Penelope put her arm around her back and held her close. The first sob that broke from Erin's body tore at Penelope's heart and she gently rubbed Erin's back.

The crying spell didn't last long and Erin pulled away from her, wiping her eyes. "Thank you, Penelope."

"It's all right to cry, Erin. Especially when someone say something without thinking, like she did." They continued to the car and Erin drove to The Ivy. She put her name in and they were seated within ten minutes.

Erin looked over the wine list. "Would you like to try a '92 Cabernet Sauvignon today?" Penelope looked at her over the lunch menu. "Or would that be too heavy for lunch?"

"Sounds good to me, I'll just have to adjust my meal a little." She scanned the menu and decided on the wild salmon dish while Erin ordered the wine. Their waiter returned with the bottle moments later and poured them each a glass.

"What can I get for you ladies for lunch today?" he asked, setting the bottle in the middle of the table and smiling at them.

"I'll have the wild salmon with pearl couscous," Erin said.

"And I'll have the same," Penelope said, smiling up at the young man. After he'd left, she looked at Erin, tilting her head to the side. "I didn't mean to copy you. It just sounded delicious."

"Of course you didn't," Erin said teasingly, taking a sip of her wine.

"Who are you and what have you done with my boss?" Penelope blurted out, trying to wrap her brain around this new facet of Erin Strauss. She picked up her glass and swirled the wine around before taking a drink.

The faint blush tinged Erin's cheeks once more. "Like I said, you remind me of Lizzie. I just reacted like I would to her."

"Ah. So, when did you meet Philip?" she asked, resting her head on her hand.

"Would you believe that we're high school sweethearts? I got a full ride scholarship to Bryn Mawr and so he went to Penn State. He could have gone to Harvard, but he chose me." A dreamy smile spread over her face. "He proposed at the end of our freshman year, and we married the summer we graduated. We'll be married twenty two years this summer."

"I wish I could find a love like that," Penelope sighed.

"Aren't you with that Lynch fellow?"

"Not any longer. In the end, I chose my family over him." Their food came and Penelope tucked in, suddenly wanting to hide herself from Erin's eyes. "This is delicious."

"Family can be the most important thing in our lives. If our lover doesn't get that, well, it doesn't do to keep them in our lives," Erin quietly said, not looking up from her plate. "If Mr. Lynch didn't understand that, he didn't understand you."

"Yeah, but it sucked to break up with him. The sex was incredible." Penelope blushed to the roots of her hair as she realized what she'd said. Erin covered her mouth with her hand, stifling the laugh that erupted from her. "Oh, god, I'm never going to live that down. Just shoot me now."

"You don't get out of life that easily. Besides, ladies who lunch never spill their secrets."

"I'm not a lady." Penelope took another sip of wine. "At least not with a comment like that."

"Yes, you are lady, Penelope. Don't ever sell yourself short. I'm trying to drum that into my daughter's heads." She took a bite of food and looked at Penelope. "Though Zoë is the one who really gets it. She already marches to her own drummer. Sometimes I think Lizzie's too caught up in being popular."

Penelope nodded and ate. "Lizzie will come around eventually. You seem to have a good head on your shoulders."

"Thanks. Would you like to split a piece of carrot cake? It's to live for." Penelope nodded once more and Erin signaled their waiter, putting the desert order in.

The desert came just as they were finishing their meals. Penelope surreptitiously slipped the waiter her charge card while Erin was refilling their glasses with the last of the wine.

"I saw that."

"Do you have eyes in the back of your heard, Erin?" She took a bite of the cake and smiled. "Besides, I guilted you into talking me here today. I might as well pay for lunch." Erin shook her head and took a bite.

When they'd finished, Erin pulled her keys out and handed them to Penelope. "Since I drank more of the wine than you did, you should probably drive."

"What? You're not going to tell me to be careful?" Erin winced and Penelope smiled. "I don't think you like giving up control like this."

"I have to get used to it, though. You don't have much control over cancer."

"True that. Oh, my dove, we'll get through this. Your Philip sounds like an amazing man. You're lucky to have someone like him in your life."

"Aren't I though? Now, I have to figure out how to tell him." Penelope got behind the wheel of the forest green Mercedes and started the car up. As she drove, she noticed Erin stare out the window. "And what do I tell my children?"

"Tell them the truth. That you have cancer and that your doctor is going to do everything in his power to make you better. Tell them you'll need their support to get through this, that you can't go it alone." Penelope sighed. "No one is alone, Erin."

She parked in Erin's spot and handed her the keys. Once more, Erin surprised her by clasping hands before taking the keys from her hand. "Lizzie has a cheerleading competition on Saturday, and I don't want her to miss it. I'll tell Philip you'll be with me on Saturday so he won't feel like he has to be with me."

Penelope knew it was the closest she'd get to a request from Erin. "Saturday morning it is, then."

*~~*~~*

Friday afternoon, Penelope received a phone call from a number she did not recognize. "Hello, Penelope Garcia speaking. How may I help you?"

"Ms. Garcia? This is Philip, Erin's husband."

"Hey, and call me Penelope. How did the surgery go?"

"It went well. Dr. Wormeldorf believes he got all the cancer. She'll kill me if she finds out I told you this, but she's really looking forward to your visit tomorrow. And I'm glad that she has someone there to look out for her."

"She deserves to have someone on her side. If I were going to bring something for her, what should I get?"

"If you can find anise squares, you would be her friend forever."

"Good to know. Oh, one last question. When do visiting hours begin tomorrow?"

"Any time after seven, is what the nurse told me. I would wait until closer to eight, though. The painkillers they've put her on are pretty powerful and she'll be really tired, according to Dr. Wormeldorf."

"Thanks. Have as restful a night as you can."

"Will do, Penelope." He hung up, and she quickly added his details to her contact list.

She found it hard to concentrate the rest of the afternoon and was never more glad that all her teams were home. Promptly at five, she shut her systems down and went out into the bullpen. Morgan was there, talking to Reid, and he looked up and smiled at her.

"Hey, Baby Girl. Where are you headed off to?" he asked as she paused by his desk.

"To a florist and a candy store. Wanna come?"

He nodded and slung his jacket over his shoulder. "Drinks afterward?"

"Not tonight. I need to visit a friend tomorrow. Hence the flowers and candy?"

"Right. Can Reid come?"

"Of course. You up for a little adventure tonight?" Penelope asked and he nodded, grabbing his satchel. "Okay, first stop is the candy store. Will you drive, Morgan?"

"Yeah." He took her arm and they all walked out to the parking garage. Penelope claimed shotgun seconds before Reid, and she giggled in triumph. "Play nice, you two."

"Yes, Morgan," they chorused as one. Penelope smiled as he rolled his eyes.

"Sugar you know I live to tease you. Now, off to Sweetlands!"

"As my goddess commands." Despite the traffic, he got them to the candy store quickly, even managing to find them a spot in front of the building.

Penelope made a beeline for the hard candies and looked at the label on each bin. She felt her shoulders slump a little as she went down the line, not seeing the distinctive red candy.

"May I help you?"

Penelope looked at the clerk and nodded. "I'm looking for anise squares."

"Those are on the end cap of this aisle. What with Valentine's just over, not too many people are looking for red candy."

"Thank you." Penelope turned the corner and saw them, sighing in relief. Opening a white paper bag, she put three large scoops in and then sealed the bag. Morgan and Reid were at the counter, looking at the chocolate treats for sale.

"Three pounds of the sea foam is more than enough, kid. I don't know how you stay so slim with a sweet tooth like yours."

"Good genetics, Morgan. And three pounds of the chocolate covered gummi worms, please," he told the clerk, who smiled at him.

Once they'd both paid, Morgan led them out. Reid held out the bag of sea foam to her and she took a piece, biting into the flaky confection. "What flower shop do you want to go to?" he asked.

"Nan's. It's three block from here, turn left at the first intersection," she said, buckling her seatbelt. It was where she'd ordered the orchid from and she'd seen bonsai on the website as well. She was the first one in the door and her eyes settled upon a small bonsai tree in a bright blue container. "You are perfect for her," she whispered as she picked up the plant. Suddenly, she couldn't wait until the morning.


	3. And there follows a mist and a weeping rain

Penelope remembered why she hated hospitals the moment she stepped inside the sliding doors. She stepped up to the information desk and waited for the woman to get off the phone before she spoke. "Erin Strauss's room, please."

The woman tapped away at her keyboard. "May I have your name, please?"

"Penelope Garcia."

"All right, Ms. Garcia. She's on the third floor, room 3215. Go down this corridor, take the first set of elevators on the left up to the third floor. When they open, turn to your left. Her room will be on the right hand side of that hall. If you get lost, there will always be a nurse or orderly around that will be able to point you in the right direction."

"Thank you." Penelope walked down the corridor and pressed the up button. She got on the elevator with a number of other people and pressed the number for her floor. "Turn to the left," she whispered as the elevator rose.

The doors slid open and she was the only one to step out. Squaring her shoulders, she turned to the left and walked down the long hallway. The numbers on the doors kept going up until she ran across 3215. It was a private room, and Penelope took a deep breath as she opened the door.

Erin was sleeping as she entered, so Penelope tried to be as quiet as she could as she set the bonsai tree on the table next to Erin's bedside. Her stomach clenched as she saw how small the other woman looked connected to the monitors and tubes. Slowly, she sank into the chair next to Erin's side, letting her purse slip to the floor.

The only other decoration in the room was a bouquet of flowers on the window sill. She found herself focusing on that bouquet as the minutes passed, not wanting to wake Erin. After she'd been there about fifteen minutes, a nurse came in, turning up the lights and checking Erin's vitals. A sharp groan came out of Erin as the nurse poked and prodded at her.

"Can't you be more careful?" Penelope asked, frowning at the woman.

The nurse blanched and nodded, finishing her tasks quickly and then fleeing the room. "You almost sounded like me there, Penelope," Erin said, wincing as she tried to sit up. Without saying a word, Penelope helped her and then sat back down.

"Philip said the surgery went well."

"It did." Erin looked away from her and at the bouquet.

"Then what is it?" Penelope gently asked, taking hold of Erin's hand.

"I don't know. It just seems more concrete now, this idea of going through chemo. I'm going to lose my hair." A few tears rolled down her cheeks. "I'm not a vain person, but my hair."

"I understand. I've never had short hair in my life, even though it can be a pain at times." She looked at Erin and took a deep breath. "What would you say to pre-empting cancer and getting our hair cut short? I've been thinking of making a change for a little bit now."

"Penelope, I can't ask that of you," Erin said softly, looking away from her.

"It is a sacrifice I am more than willing to make. Has anyone besides Philip ever sacrificed for you?" Erin shook her head slightly, still avoiding her gaze. "Then your friends have really sucked, Erin. I'm sorry, but I was always taught to be there for my friends in any way possible."

"I thought you hated me."

"What? Oh, Sugar, I was just so upset at losing JJ that I took it out on you. You were the easy target. I don't think I could ever hate anyone." She reached up and brushed a piece of hair out of Erin's eyes. "I hope you realize I'm telling the truth."

Erin turned her head to look at Penelope. "Yes, I do."

Penelope smiled. "Good. So, I know Lizzie's a cheerleader. Tell me a little more about Paul. What's his school identity?"

"He's my sweet boy. Thankfully, he's a good soccer player, so he hasn't had the sensitivity beaten out of him yet by those Neanderthals who think that emotion makes you weak. It was so hard telling him about today and the chemo to follow. Like his father, he's bright, too much so at times. He's convinced I'm going to die."

Penelope handed Erin the box of tissues, squeezing her hand tightly. They both looked towards the door as it opened and Dr. Wormeldorf stepped in.

"Good morning Erin, Penelope. I'm glad to see you sitting up, that's a good sign. Does the incision hurt much?"

"A little," Erin replied reluctantly.

"Don't be afraid to use the morphine. You can't overdose on it and it will ease the pain. Now, here's the schedule for your chemo treatments. Unfortunately, they will have to be in the middle of the day, the early morning sessions were all filled up. We'll begin the Wednesday after next, to give you some more time to heal."

"Thank you, Dr. Elijah." He nodded and handed Penelope the papers as he checked Erin's chart.

"Are you going to let me out early?" she asked hopefully.

"Stir crazy already?" Erin blushed and nodded. "Well, based on your vitals, I might be able to let you out tomorrow evening rather than Monday morning. Would that be better?"

"Yes."

"All right, I'll update your chart and put that information in." He left moments later and Penelope reached into her purse, pulling out the Sweetlands bag.

"Contraband to make the wait more bearable," she said with a smile, holding the bag out to Erin. She took it from her and opened it, smiling as she smelt the strong scent of anise.

"I see Philip's been spilling secrets about me," Erin said as she unwrapped one of the candies and put it in her mouth. "And you brought me another bonsai tree."

"Yeah. I thought it would be another thing you can control right now." Penelope scooted the chair closer to the bed and looked at Erin closely. "Is Phillip going to be able to take you to your chemo treatments?"

"No. He's an attorney and I can't ask him to take eight consecutive Wednesdays off. I guess I'll come up with something."

"I'll take you," Penelope said as Erin shook her head. "It wouldn't be an imposition, I swear. And I can be discreet, as I have been so far. May I also do this for you?"

"You're giving up too much, Penelope."

"What am I giving up? Hair grows back and you need someone to drive you. I'll just tell my teams that I'm homebound for the next ten weeks. They'll understand." Penelope smiled brightly, knowing Erin would give in to her

"All right, Penelope, if you insist."

"Thank you, Erin."

*~~*~~*

The days passed and finally Wednesday came. Penelope sent all her calls to voicemail while she was going to be gone and stepped out into the bullpen. She passed Rossi on her way down the stairs and smiled at him.

"Hey Kitten, where are you off to?"

"I have a lunch date with a friend. I'll be back in a little bit."

"Don't be too late, you don't want to get in trouble with Strauss. She must have had a bad vacation, because she came back with a shorter temper than ever."

"Yeah, it was a really great vacation," she said under her breath before smiling at Dave once more. "Somehow, I have a feeling she'll be fine with it, no matter how late I am. Now, if you'll excuse me, I don't want to be late." She continued down the stairs and turned down the hall to where Erin's office was.

Margaret was on the phone and indicated she should go right in. Penelope nodded and opened the door, smiling at Erin. "Ah, right on time, Penelope."

"I try to be punctual, Erin. Are you ready?"

"Yes." She winced slightly as she bent to pick up her purse, and Penelope touched her arm lightly. "It's the incision. I couldn't take any painkillers this morning, since the chemo will cause me to bleed excessively if I get cut and well, the blood thinners in pain pills would exacerbate that. The pain should clear up in a few days."

"There must be an analgesic that doesn't have that side effect," Penelope said as they walked over to the elevators.

"Not one that I can take. Dr. Elijah found out that I'm sensitive to a number of pain meds on Saturday, after you left. Let me tell you, that rash was fun to deal with last week."

"I can only imagine what that must have been like." The doors opened and they got on the elevator. "So I did some more reading over the last week. Are you sure you should be coming to work? The chemo is going to destroy your immune system, and you don't want to get sick."

"I'm not about to let this damned disease dictate my job as well as my life! As long as I can be here, I will be here," she replied angrily, looking away from Penelope.

"Of course, I was just concerned about the risk. That's all."

Erin's shoulders slumped. "Philip's worried about that, too. We had our first argument in years about it yesterday. Then he went out to Bath and Body Works and bought me too many PocketBacs. Here, take your pick." She held out her purse to Penelope. "Margaret already took one. If you're going to be around me, you'll have to use it liberally."

Penelope nodded and plucked one out, slipping it inside her own purse. "Did Dr. Elijah say how long the treatments would take? I couldn't find anything out about length."

"About thirty five minutes, once I get back in the room. I already asked, you can come back with me, if you want." Penelope could feel Erin's eyes on her and knew she was being tested.

"Good, that was my next question." They walked over to Erin's car and once Penelope was in, she held out her hand. "Directions?"

"It's at the hospital, so I know where I'm going this time. Though I must say you were able to get us to Dr. Elijah's without incident." The teasing tone had crept back into Erin's voice and Penelope giggled sweetly.

The drive was short and Erin parked on the fourth level of the ramp. Penelope walked next to Erin, unconsciously brushing hands with her as they went. Erin opened the door and as Penelope entered, she felt a warm hand on her back. She smiled widely at the unexpected gesture. It was beginning to look like her plan was working, and that made her happy.

Once more, Erin thrust her purse at Penelope as she checked in at the desk. Penelope found a seat close to the fish tank, and Erin sat next to her, filling out more paperwork, her foot tapping anxiously. Penelope was starting to realize that this was the one way Erin released her fear and anxiety, and as soon as Penelope touched her arm, the tapping ceased.

"You'll be fine, Erin. I'm here now, and Philip will be there tonight. He doesn't have a case right now in trial, so I know he's going to be home at five."

"And how would you know that?"

"He emailed me this morning. We're going to take care of you." Erin smiled slightly, shaking her head as she clasped Penelope's hand.

"Erin Strauss?" a young man said, looking around the room. They stood and followed him back. "I'm Calvin Schutter. I'll be your chemo tech for the next eight weeks. Did you read the literature Dr. Wormeldorf gave you?"

"Yes."

"Good, and I see you've brought someone with you. I must ask, have you been sick in the last month at all?"

"No, nothing," Penelope replied.

"Wonderful." He stopped by a Purell dispenser and put his hand under it, rubbing the gel in. "Both of you need to do the same."

After they'd done so, he led them back into a private room and took Erin over to the plush recliner. At his bidding, Erin removed her suit jacket and then sat in the chair. "All right, I'll be back in a moment. Try to make yourself comfortable."

He left the room and Penelope pulled the other chair up close to Erin's side. "I hope you don't mind if I knit while we talk. I'm still not too comfortable around needles and whatnot."

"Getting shot does tend to do that to a person."

"When were you shot?" she asked as she pulled out the hat she was working on.

"Shortly after I'd started at the Bureau." Calvin came back in and alcoholed Erin's arm before sticking the needle in. Both Penelope and Erin winced at the same time and he chuckled slightly.

"You can always tell when family comes in together," he said and they exchanged a look. Penelope hastily stifled her giggle by focusing on her stitches. "I'll be back in about thirty minutes to wrap everything up."

Erin nodded and then picked up her narrative once more. "So, I was three months pregnant with Lizzie and had to go out on the field. We weren't ready and I had to go into a tense situation without my vest on. I was young and stupid and thankfully walked out with a clean through wound to my shoulder. Until Milwaukee, that was the last of my field work."

Penelope noticed her neat side-stepping of the family comment, and chose not to mention it herself. "That's still totally bad ass, Erin. My wound was something I totally deserved." She looked down at her lap, the smile fading from her lips.

"Penelope." There was a gentleness in Erin's voice that she hadn't heard before and she looked up to see Erin holding out her hand. Penelope clasped it tightly, struggling not to cry. "What Battle did to you was not something you deserved. Why would you think something like that?"

"Because girls like me never get guys like that," she said softly, biting her lip.

"Oh, you are so much like my Lizzie." Penelope was mortified to feel the tears course down her cheeks, only to have them wiped away by Erin. "Do you know what my favorite image from the Bible is?"

Penelope shook her head. "No, what?"

"That God saves up all our tears in crystal containers and can name every cause for them. The things I've seen in the course of this job, I have to believe He weeps with me for what we do to each other. Do not let Battle's ghost continue to haunt you like this."

"You are a wonderful mother," Penelope whispered, picking up her knitting once more.

"If only my daughters saw it that way. But, thank you."

It seemed like hardly any time at all had passed when Calvin returned. "All right, Erin, we're done for the today. I'll see you next week." He left soon after he'd unhooked Erin from the IV, smiling at them.

Erin stood, a bit unsteady on her feet. "Will you drive back to the office?"

"Certainly." Penelope carried both their purses, her hand on Erin's back. Erin took out the keys once they were at the car and then sank down into the passenger seat, shutting her eyes against the bright sunlight.

As Penelope drove, she noticed that Erin began to look unwell. She sped up a little, wanting to get her out of the car and relieve her discomfort. After parking, she opened the passenger door, holding out her hand. Erin grabbed it, holding on tightly as she stepped out of the vehicle. "I need to get to the closest lavatory," she whispered, touching her hand to her mouth.

Penelope led her inside and turned to the closest bathroom. Erin disappeared into a stall and knelt in front of the bowl, losing the contents of her stomach. Penelope grabbed some paper towels and ran them under cool water. Once the retching stopped, she stepped into the stall with Erin, handing her the damp towels. Delicately, she wiped at her face, cleaning away the ick, dropping the used towels into the bowl. And then, she burst into tears.

Penelope closed the stall door, shutting the world out of their momentary safe harbor. She reached over and flushed the contents of the toilet away, not saying a word. Erin leaned against Penelope, her face buried in her hands. "Shh, Erin, you're okay," she whispered, softly rubbing the other woman's back. A few minutes passed and she regained control of her emotions. "Let's get you back up to your office."

Erin nodded and they exited the restroom. On the way to the elevator bank, she found herself mimicking Erin's body language, drawing herself up to her full height. She followed Erin into her office, nodding to Margaret as she closed the door.

"So, about Saturday. Would you mind if Lizzie and Zoë joined us?"

"That would be lovely. I'll call my hairdresser and tell him about the additions. We can make it a day of shopping, too." Penelope smiled and then, Erin smiled back.

"It would be nice to have a girl's day out, wouldn't it?"

"Yes. I'll see all of you at eight, then. And if you need anything before then, do not hesitate to call me." Erin nodded and Penelope left the room, hurrying back to the BAU. She bumped into Hotch as she was going into her office. Noticing his grim look, she cocked her head, raising an eyebrow.

"I can't keep covering for you, Garcia. You missed an important briefing fifteen minutes ago. If Strauss was to catch wind of this…"

"Actually, Hotch, in this case, she's perfectly okay with it. See, I've already cleared my absences for the next seven Wednesdays with her. If it's going to be an issue, you can take it up with her. I'm sure she'd love to discuss it with you."

Hotch blanched and it took everything in her not to giggle at the sight. "Well, if she's okay with it, fine. I just don't want you getting into trouble."

"Thanks for thinking of me, Hotch. It's nice to have someone look out for me. Now tell me what I need to know about this case," she said as she let him into her office.


	4. And life is never the same again.

Penelope brushed her hair for the last time and smiled at her reflection. Hair grows back, she thought as she patted it down. She picked up her purse and keys and left her apartment. There was a light mist of rain falling and she put up the roof on Esther before driving over to the Strauss house.

The house was perfect and Penelope could see Erin's hand all over it. She drove up the half-moon drive and idled in front of the door. It opened, revealing two brunette girls who ran out and clambered into the back seat of the car. As Penelope watched, Erin kissed Philip, holding him close for a moment.

"Mom's been so mushy lately," the younger girl, Zoë, said as she, too, watched her parents.

"That's because she could be dying, Zoë. Nothing would have changed if she hadn't found that out," Lizzie responded. "It was Zoë's idea to tag along today. When she heard you were going to cut your hair with Mother, she wanted to as well. Don't think I'm going to. All the cheerleaders have long hair and I'm not about to stand out on the squad."

"You don't have to do anything you don't want to, Elizabeth. I told you that last night," Erin said as she got in and shut the door.

"I know, Mother." She sat back against the seat and stared out the window. Penelope drove to her hairstylist and they got out, Lizzie taking up the rear, a sullen look on her face.

Zoë took her hand, smiling up at her. "I like you, you're pretty," she said without preamble, and Penelope smiled down at her. "Mom said you were both getting you hair cut short. So, I want to, too. Lizzie's just being a brat."

Erin ran her hand through Zoë's hair, a sad smile on her face. "Ten years of only trims and now, it'll all be gone."

"Hair grows back, Mom."

"You know, I said the same thing to your mother, Zoë. Hi, Cody. Thanks for opening early for us today."

"Not a problem, Penelope. So, four lovely women to take care of this morning," he said as he ushered them in.

"Yes, but you're only cutting three of us. Lizzie will just be having her hair styled. I think I'll go first." Penelope took a deep breath and sat down in front of the sink.

"Mom says you know everything about everyone," Zoë said as she sat next to her, watching Cody work.

"Well, I have a little help from technology. But if it's out there, I can find it."

"Could you dig up some dirt on Gavin Webber? He's been bothering Lizzie, and I want to take care of the situation."

"Zoë! I've told you before not to read my journal!" Lizzie said sharply, glaring at her sister. "Besides, he's right. I do need a nose job. Until I'm perfect, I'll never be able to get a guy like him."

Penelope looked over at Erin, who nodded sadly. "Oh, honey, your nose is perfect," Cody said as he lathered Penelope's hair. "You just have to give your face time to catch up to it. Besides, a boy like that is so not worth it. You're beautiful, and can do better"

"What would you know?"

"A lot more than you might think. I was the only one like me in high school, and I was constantly told to change, to fit in. It doesn't work like that, you have to be happy with who you are in the end."

Lizzie looked away from all of them to stare out the window. "Maybe I will get my hair cut," she said softly.

Penelope smiled up at Cody, who winked at her. Once he'd washed her hair, he took her over to the styling chair. "Just like we talked about on the phone. Carey Mulligan short…"

"And platinum blonde, I remember." He pulled out his shears and Penelope fought hard not to wince as he first lopped her hair off to shoulder length. Cody worked his magic on her hair, setting the dye.

"Me next!" Zoë said excitedly. "I want you to cut my hair just like Penelope's!"

"Are you sure you want it that short, Princess?"

"Yes."

"All right, here we go, then." He washed Zoë's hair and then led her over to the other chair, beginning to cut away.

Penelope looked over at Erin, and saw her running her fingers through Lizzie's hair, smiling slightly. Cody finished cutting Zoë's hair and then blew it out. She looked in the mirror and grinned. "I love it! Thank you, Cody!" She got out of the chair and hugged him before running over to Erin.

Cody pulled Penelope back over to the sink and washed the dye out of her hair. After he'd dried her hair, she looked in the mirror, touching her head. It was so weird to see herself without much hair. "You look cute, Penelope," Zoë said, smiling at her.

"You think so?"

"Uh-huh. Mom, it's your turn now."

Erin stood and went over to the sinks, sighing with pleasure as Cody washed her hair. Penelope watched as Cody worked his magic on Erin, seeing her struggle not to cry as her hair fell to the floor in clumps under the scissors. Zoë grabbed a lock of each of their hair and put them in her purse.

"Are you really going to cut your hair, too, Lizzie?" Penelope asked quietly, looking at Erin's oldest daughter intently.

"Yes. But not as short as yours. Maybe a bob?" Penelope nodded. "Mama really likes you. I overheard her and Daddy talking last night, and she was really excited about today. And then she started crying and I snuck back upstairs. I almost ruined today for her, Penelope, because I'm so scared she is going to die and leave us alone."

"Hey, we're not going to let that happen. We're going to do everything in our power to make her better," Penelope said as she touched Lizzie's shoulder.

"I know, and I just want to fix her. I'm in advanced biology, and I asked about this cancer in class and it's not a good one. I wish we didn't fight so much, or that I was a doctor who can make her better. Instead, I'm just me."

"And she loves you as you are. You have a wonderful mother, Lizzie, who needs you to be strong right now. We can do that for her, can't we?"

Lizzie nodded and hugged her quickly before going up to Cody and her mother. Zoë sat next to Penelope, smiling. "I used to know a pretty girl, who cut off all her hair," she sang, watching Cody with Lizzie.

"I'm sorry?"

"It's a song I used to sing to her at night," Erin said. "But you don't have a silver box, Sugar. Where will you keep the locks?"

"In my jewelry box. I'm going to go watch Cody work." She got up and went across the room, sitting in the other stylist's chair.

"She's a handful, isn't she?" Penelope asked as Erin sat down.

"Just a little. We look like shorn sheep, Penelope," she said with a laugh.

"But really cute ones." Penelope held out her hand and Erin took it, threading her fingers in between Penelope's. "So, the mall's next. We're going to find you some really cute scarves and hats."

"Let's start with professional. Do you want to have supper with us tonight? Phil mentioned inviting you before we left today."

"I would love that, Erin." Cody finished up with Lizzie and Penelope paid him, tipping generously.

"How much do I owe you, Penelope?" Erin asked once they were back in the car.

"That would be nothing, Angel Face. Today is totally on me."

"Penelope."

"You know, Morgan uses that same tone of voice with me. It doesn't work for him, either." She smiled at Erin and then pulled out in to traffic. The drizzle had stopped and the sun was beginning to peek out from the clouds. "Today is going to be a wonderful day."

The mall was quite busy and they made their way to the second floor first, looking in the shops. Lizzie pulled them into Hot Topic and made a beeline for their animal hats. "This would look totally adorable on you, Mama," she said, holding out a knit hat with cat ears.

"One, I'm not a teenage girl. And two, I could not wear that at the office, Lizzie."

"No, but you could wear it there and back. You have to keep your head warm, Mama."

Erin nodded resignedly, and Lizzie smiled with triumph. Penelope was starting to more fully see why Erin thought she was like her daughter. Both of them were so persuasively persistent. Erin bought the hat and they went back out into the mall, exploring other shops.

Once the upper level was completed, they stopped to eat at the food court. Penelope noticed Erin just picked at her food, hardly eating anything. "She's been like that since Wednesday," Lizzie whispered in her ear. "It's a side effect of the chemo."

Penelope nodded, her own appetite fading as she watched Erin struggle to keep the food down. "Lizzie, watch Zoë for a couple minutes. We'll be right back." She stood and helped Erin up. Together, they started down the hall, Erin taking deep breaths as she held her stomach.

"I hate this," she said lowly. "I have to get to a restroom." Penelope nodded again and they turned into the alcove next to the food court. Erin disappeared into a stall and Penelope wet some paper towels as she tried to block the sound of retching from her mind. Erin came out a few moments later and she handed her the towels.

"Do you feel better now?" she asked gently, laying her hand on Erin's shoulder.

"A little." And then Erin surprised Penelope by hugging her tightly for just a moment. But in that moment, Erin reminded her so of her mother, and Penelope felt herself tear up.

"Oh, Erin, cancer sucks so much," she whispered as she felt Erin pull away from her.

"It does, doesn't it? Thank you for this, Penny. I really needed a day like today."

"Not a problem. Ready to go tackle the lower level?" she replied, holding out her arm. Erin nodded and placed her hand in the crook of Penelope's elbow and they walked out together. Lizzie and Zoë were waiting for them, carrying the packages and their purses. Penelope dug out her keys, handing them to Lizzie. "Why don't you two run those out to the car?"

Lizzie looked at her and nodded, smiling slightly. "Come on, Zoë." They took off into the crowd and Penelope led Erin down the stairs. On the lower level, they strolled along, not saying anything. It was a comfortable silence, and Penelope was grateful for this moment in time.

Penelope guided Erin into the Paper Tiger despite her protestations. "They usually have some nice scarves in here. Trust me on this one."

"I've trusted you so far. I'm beginning to see why Alpha wants to keep you safe."

"Aw, thanks, Angel Face," she said as she thumbed through the scarves. "What?"

"Do you give everyone a nickname?"

"All my friends, yeah." She pulled a bright turquoise scarf and held it up to Erin's face. "This looks really good against your skin."

"And matches nothing in my wardrobe."

"Nonsense. You wear so many neutral colors; this would go with most any of them." Penelope proceeded to pull out an array of scarves in numerous shades and patterns, sticking to the sensibilities of Erin as much as she could. "All right, let's go checkout."

"Penelope."

"No, Erin. My gift to you. I have to cram a lifetime's worth of kindnesses into this time we spend together. I don't know if you'll still let me in once you're better."

"Of course I will," she replied softly, looking away from Penelope.

"I was hoping you'd say that." Penelope paid and they left the store. Lizzie and Zoë rejoined them minutes later and they finished shopping. Zoë slipped her hand into Penelope's, sticking close to her side as they made their way back to the car.

As Penelope drove, Erin's cell phone rang. "Hello, Phil. Yes, we're headed home now. No, I'm not very tired. My girls have been taking care of me. Will you and Paul help us bring in the bags when we get there? Thanks, and yes, she's staying for supper. I am, too. See you in a few. I love you."

They all giggled at the end of the conversation, and Erin gave Penelope one of her looks. "What? You guys are so cute."

"Yeah, Mom, you and Dad are cute when you're being mushy," Zoë piped in from the back seat.

Penelope pulled in the drive a little while later and Paul was the first one out of the door. She popped the trunk and he began to take out bags, bringing them in the house with the girls. "Let's go to the den," Erin said to Penelope, who nodded.

The inside of the house was as lovely as the outside, matching Erin's innate sense of elegance. Erin sat on the sofa, curling her legs up under her as Penelope looked at the photographs lining the fireplace mantle. "Who's this?" she asked, pointing to a picture of a young man who looked a lot like Erin.

"My brother, George. He lives in Iowa."

"Is he a farmer?"

"No, he's a professor at Iowa State. He teaches music history there."

"Wow, that's really cool. Erin, you have an amazing family," Penelope said as she sat next to Erin on the sofa. "I wonder what my brothers are up to now."

"Don't you know?"

"No. When I went underground, they told me in no uncertain terms that I was no longer their sister. I've never had the courage to look them up in the databases at my disposal."

Once more it was Erin who initiated contact that afternoon as she reached out to clasp her hand. "And they've never looked for you?"

Penelope shook her head. "Alpha Team's my family now, anyway."

Philip came in the room and stood in front of them. "Did you leave anything at the mall?" he teased, holding out his hand to Erin. She took it and stood up, smiling at him.

"A little. Do you like my hair?" She touched her head self-consciously, biting her lip.

"You look beautiful, sweetheart. Now, supper's ready and waiting. Shall we?"

Penelope stood and followed them into the dining room. After Philip prayed over the food, they began to eat. A natural conversation grew between them all, only to be interrupted by Penelope's cell phone. She looked at the display and groaned. "I have to go. There's a new case to be briefed. Rossi said it's going to be a bad one."

She stood and Erin led her out to the door. "Thank you again. I'll see you Wednesday." Penelope nodded and then stepped forward, hugging Erin once more before she left.

She made it up to her office in record time and joined everyone in the ready room once she had her pad. The team was listening intently to Rossi and she slipped in quietly, taking a seat next to Emily. She could feel their eyes on her as she took notes and felt herself blush under their scrutiny.

"Baby Girl, what did you do to your hair?" Morgan asked as soon as Rossi finished speaking.

"I got it cut. It was time for change," she said, touching her head the same way Erin had with Philip. "I thought I'd go for the Mia Farrow look."

"It's darling, PG," Emily said, smiling at her. "I just never took you for the short hair type."

"It's hair, it will grow," Reid said, rubbing her hair. She shook her head as she smiled up at him. "We'll see you when we get back."

Rossi hung behind the others and helped her to stand. "Are we going to see someone else with short hair soon?" he asked kindly.

"Perhaps. But don't spill our secret, okay?"

"It's safe with me, Kitten. And you do look adorable." He patted her shoulder and left the room, humming under his breath. Penelope went into her office, gearing up for a long night.


	5. Alas, how hardly things go right!

Penelope kept looking at her watch, wondering how much longer Hotch was going to drone on about this new case. She started tapping her foot impatiently as she texted Erin, letting her know what was up. Rossi caught her eye and she surreptitiously pointed at her watch.

She half-heartedly took notes, hoping he would wrap it up so she wouldn't be too late. A few minutes later, a firm knocking came on the ready room door. "Enter!" Hotch said a bit peevishly, glaring at the door and whoever was behind it

Erin sailed into the room, coolly gazing at all of them. "Ms. Garcia, I need you to come with me," she said, pinning her eyes on Hotch.

"Yes, Ma'am," she meekly replied, trying to keep the smile off her lips. She stood and followed Erin out of the room, ignoring the looks she received from her team. "I just need to stop by my office to pick up my purse."

"Don't be too long. We're pressed for time as it is."

Penelope nodded and jogged to her office, grabbing her purse off her desk. "Let's go," she said as she joined Erin on the bullpen floor. "Thank you for getting me out of there. I did not want you going alone today. Last week was so rough on you."

Erin pressed the down button on the elevator. "But this week marks the halfway point. I'm so ready for this to be over. Margaret had to wake me up yesterday after lunch. I'm just so exhausted."

"Have you thought that it may be time to take a short leave of absence?" she asked as they stepped inside the elevator.

"Yes. But if I don't keep my normal routine, it's like the cancer has won. As long as I'm strong enough to be here, I will be." Penelope nodded and brushed her hand against Erin's, smiling gently at her.

The drive was short and Penelope could tell even that was taking a lot out of Erin. Thankfully, the other woman did not refuse Penelope's arm in hers as they walked to the treatment center. Erin had become better about letting Penelope touch her over the weeks, though Penelope knew she would never admit that she didn't mind the contact.

They checked in and were soon whisked to the back. Calvin got everything set up and then left them alone. "Four more weeks of this hell. Hopefully, this is all I'll need. Dr. Elijah said I might need more if the cancer isn't gone," Erin said as she looked over at Penelope.

"When did he say that?"

"At my appointment with him yesterday afternoon. Philip went with me to that one. I don't think I can take much more of this, Penny."

"Oh, Angel Face, please don't let me hear you sound so defeated." Just as she went to clasp Erin's hand, her phone rang, and from the ringtone she knew it was Morgan. "I'm sorry, I have to take this." Erin nodded and she answered the phone. "Hey Morgan, what can I do for you?"

"Where are you, Baby Girl? Hotch was all kinds of pissed off that Strauss interrupted the briefing today and dragged you off."

"I'm doing something for her, Morgan, and then I have an appointment with my friend. Hotch knows all about this. I told him weeks ago about this. But why are you still here? Wheels up should have been thirty minutes ago."

"Hotch want you to come with us."

"That ain't happening, Sugar, and he knows it. Tell him not to wait any longer for me and get out to Nebraska. I'll be back in the office in about an hour." She hung up on him, turned the phone off, and looked at Erin. "Now back to you, Angel Face. Does Philip know how you're feeling?"

"I haven't talked about this with him. I don't want to burden him with this, too." She sighed and wiped her eyes free of tears. "I'm starting to feel like I might not make it."

"Please, don't talk like that, Erin." Penelope moved quickly to sit at Erin's feet, resting her head against the arm of the chair. She burst into tears and looked up at Erin, unable to stop crying. Erin reached out and covered Penelope's hand, tears falling down her face as well.

Neither woman moved or spoke for the rest of the time. Calvin knocked on the door and they both looked over at him. "I brought some tissues, ladies. Take your time, my next patient isn't going to be in today," he said quietly, handing the tissue box to Erin as he unhooked her from the IV. "This is usually when it gets really rough, Erin. Keep soldiering on, I have faith you'll beat this."

"Thank you, Calvin," Erin whispered, smiling slightly. After he'd left, Penelope pulled out a tissue and blew her nose. "Look at me, Penelope," she said gently and Penelope did. Softly, Erin dabbed at her cheeks, wiping away the mascara tracks. Penelope reciprocated the tender gesture and then stood up.

Holding out her hand, she helped Erin to her feet and then pulled her into a hug. Erin wrapped her arms around Penelope, holding her close. Penelope broke into sobs once more, unable to control her emotions. "I don't want to ever think about losing you."

"Oh, my darling girl," Erin whispered, rubbing her back gently. "We all go at some point. But I'll try to fight through this for everyone who loves me. Just promise me, if worse comes to worse, you'll help Philip with the children. Zoë's quite attached to you, you know."

"And I adore her." Penelope released Erin and wiped her eyes clear once more. "Let's get back to the office."

Erin handed Penelope the keys to the car. "I'm too exhausted to drive." Arm in arm, they made their way to the parking garage. Erin got in and curled up in the passenger seat, asleep before Penelope could start the car. She took the long way back, wanting Erin to get as much rest as possible.

Penelope had just pulled into Erin's spot when her phone buzzed against her thigh. "Yes, Derek?" she asked shortly.

"Whoa, Mama. Is everything okay?"

"Yes. What do you need?"

"I need you to look up some information for me. Are you back in the office yet?"

"Almost. Can you give me twenty minutes?"

"Make it ten?"

"I'll try, Sugar." She ended the call and touched Erin's shoulder lightly. "We're back at the office, Angel Face."

Erin blinked and sat up, wiping the sleep from her eyes. She pulled down the sunshade and used the mirror to adjust her wig. "I look like death warmed over."

"And that's why I'm going to stay with you the rest of the day. You'll sleep, Margaret and I will do as much as we can of your work."

Erin nodded listlessly and got out of the car, leaning against the back door as Penelope got out. "But you have work to do as well."

"I'm the oracle of all knowing, Erin. Don't worry, we'll make it happen." They went up to Erin's office and found Margaret typing away. "Hey, Maggie."

"Good afternoon, Penelope, Ma'am. I've been holding all your calls. No one important, so I told them to call back later. Oh, and Penelope, Agent Rossi called for you. Something about the case you're working on. Your laptop's in the office, waiting for you."

"Thanks." They disappeared into Erin's office and Penelope sat behind her desk. "Sleep now, Angel Face. If anything important comes up, I'll wake you." Erin curled up on the sofa and Penelope got up to cover her with a blanket she had found in the closet last week. As she booted up her laptop, she called Morgan.

"Okay, what do you need?" she asked as she put him on speaker, cracking her knuckles.

"Any information you can find on Oscar Albertson. He's the fifth missing man, which is why we were called out here."

"All right, give me a few minutes and I'll send out the info. Is Rossi with you?"

"Yeah," he replied, sounding puzzled.

"I need to talk with him for a minute. Would you put him on?"

He handed over the phone and she heard him say something to Rossi. "What can I do for you, Kitten?" he asked.

"Tell me how pissed Hotch is."

"Once I reminded him you had Strauss's backing, he calmed down. Speaking of our mutual concern, how is she?"

"I'm worried, Dave. The chemo is really knocking her around."

"She's a fighter. As long as she had you and Phil at her side, rallying her on, she had the world."

"If you have time, I'd call Philip to talk today. He needs a friend right now, too."

"Will do, Penelope." He hung up and she stepped out into Margaret's office, sitting on the edge of the desk.

"So, what do we need to do to keep her caught up on her work? As long as she insists on being here, I want to make sure her work gets done."

Margaret turned at picked up a stack of files. "To be her, we have to make the tough calls. These are a quarter of the new files demanding BAU attention."

"I thought we made the decision about which case to take?"

"To some extent, you do. But there are so many cases out there that want FBI attention that someone needs to weed them down to a more manageable number. I've been working on these since Monday and would really appreciate some help."

"Certainly." Penelope took the files from Margaret's hands and went back into Erin's office, sitting behind her desk once more. "I have to think like her," she whispered as she opened the first file. As she read, she began to understand more fully why Erin believed God wept with her. What was happening to these victims was awful.

Her search finished before she'd finished the first file. Looking up at Erin, she dialed Morgan's number and gave him the details he asked for. He knew she was upset by the tone of his voice and sure enough after he'd told Emily the information, he asked her, "Is everything all right? I don't think Hotch is angry any longer, if that's what you're worried about."

"No, Rossi told me he spoke with Hotch to smooth things over. I just wish I had liked fixing people as much as I liked code when I went to college. Will you pray for my friend, Sugar? We have to make it through four more weeks of chemo, and I'm starting to worry."

"That's where you were today?"

"Yeah. Someone has to take care of her, since her husband was unable to get out of his trials. I'm just glad Strauss gave me permission to be with her."

"You must have some really good dirt on her, Baby Girl, to get her to be on your side. Listen, we have to go meet with the families now. Have a good day."

She hung up and set the phone next to the laptop. Sighing, she delved back into the files, finally deciding one of the teams would be heading to Rockford, Michigan. Then she read the next file and found it worse than the first and changed her mind. "How do you do this, Angel Face?" she whispered, looking at her sadly. Seeing this much horror would hurt anyone deeply and helped explain her bitchiness. "I'd think the worst of people, too, if all I saw of them was this, day in and day out."

Finally, she made it through the pile and had narrowed down the prospective cases to five for whichever teams were home to look at. She finished up with searches for her teams on the field and then took more files from Margaret. Still, Erin slept on and Penelope was loathe to wake her.

At five, Margaret came into the office. "I've been sending her home at this time, so she can rest. I might run her home tonight, if I were you. If she's this tired, she shouldn't be driving."

"I agree. Why don't you follow us to her house in my car and then we'll come back and finish up what needs to be done today?" Margaret nodded and left the office. Penelope touched Erin's forehead and noticed it was a bit warm. "Erin, wake up. We're going home now."

Groggily, Erin sat up, wrapping the blanket around her shoulders. "What time is it?"

"Five after five. I'm going to drive you home, okay?" Erin nodded, standing up. She took a deep breath and Penelope reached out just in case she fell. "Would you mind terribly if I picked you up and brought you home until you get better?" she asked, biting her lip.

"I would appreciate that. Phil mentioned yesterday that he was going to if you didn't offer. I'm so blessed to have such wonderful people looking out for me." They left the office and Margaret trailed after them. In the elevator, Penelope pulled out her keys and gave them to the brunette.

Erin managed to stay awake for the ride home, but silence filled the car. Penelope pulled into the drive, parking in the garage and closing the door. "I'll see you tomorrow at seven thirty?" she asked as she handed Erin the keys.

"Yes, that sounds good. Breakfast is usually at six thirty, so we should be finished by then." Penelope smiled, hearing the invitation in the words she spoke. Awkwardly, she stepped forward, the intimacy of the afternoon seeming light years away. Erin closed the distance between them and hugged her. "Have a good evening, my darling girl," she whispered.

"Is that going to be my nickname?" Penelope asked as they broke apart from the embrace.

"Yes," Erin said simply.

"Good, I love it, Angel Face. I'll see you tomorrow morning." Penelope went out the side door of the garage and got in Esther. "Ready to head back?"

"Uh huh. Listen, Penelope, I'll finish up the work tonight. There's only enough for one of us and you look so drained right now. Go home and get a good night's sleep. The next four weeks are going to be hell on all of us close to her."

"Thank, Maggie."

Margaret parked in front of the building and they got out, Penelope going to the driver's side. "We'll see you in the morning!" she called out as the other woman opened the door. She waved at Penelope before going inside. Penelope then drove off and was soon home.

While brewing a cup of coffee, she listened to her messages on her machine. "Penelope, we need to talk when the team gets back. I don't want to do this over the phone." Hotch still sounded upset and Penelope wondered what he wanted to tell her.

After eating, she curled up on the sofa, trying to watch television. Nothing caught her interest and she found her thoughts drifting back to Erin. She was more than worried, she was terrified. Erin was pushing herself so hard in order to be the person she was before cancer. Penelope knew something was going to break, and soon.

*~~*~~*

On Friday, she received a text from Morgan that the team was back and Hotch was looking for her. "I'll be right back, Erin," she said as she set her laptop on the coffee table. "Hotch is looking for me."

"Uh huh," Erin absently replied, not looking up from the file she was reviewing.

Penelope ruffled out her skirt and went back over to the BAU. Looking up, she saw Hotch in his office, pacing back and forth. "Hey, Kitten, how come you aren't in your tech cave?" Rossi asked, touching her shoulder lightly.

"I have a mobile command center set up elsewhere at the moment. Listen, I'm going to tell Hotch a slight bending of the truth. Will you back me on it if he asks you?"

"Certainly," he replied. "Do you want me to come up with you now?"

"Yes, please," she said, taking his arm. Together, they walked up to Hotch's office and Rossi opened the door for her. "You wanted to see me, Sir?"

"Garcia, have a seat. Rossi, you might as well stay, too. What is going on with you, Penelope? I expected you to be there with us on this case. Instead, you were nowhere to be found after Strauss pulled you from the briefing. I need to be able to depend on you."

"And you can, Sir."

"Not when you disappear for hours at a time every week!"

"I told you that I'm doing a favor for a friend for these next few weeks. Strauss approved it. I shouldn't need to explain any further than that!" She quickly stood, getting in his face. "Why are you making such a big deal about this? Is it because I went to Strauss first?"

"Kitten," Rossi said warningly, touching her shoulder. She stepped back and took a seat once more. "Honestly, Hotch, why are you so bothered by this? Penelope went through the proper channels."

"She's interfering with my team, David. Do I need any more reason than that?"

"Yes, in this case, you do, Sir," Penelope said lowly. "Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to get back to my work, especially if you'll be headed out to Michigan later this afternoon."

Hotch pinned her with an assessing look. "How do you know what case I'm briefing?"

"I'm working on an assignment with Chief Strauss. She showed me some of the cases on the docket and I knew you'd take this one."

"Is this why you aren't in your office?" Hotch asked, sitting behind his desk.

"Yes. I'll be working from her office for the next few weeks, until she doesn't need me any longer. Don't worry, this won't interfere with my normal work."

Hotch's shoulders slumped slightly. "Is she treating you okay?"

"Like one of her children," she replied, deciding to tell the truth in that respect.

"That doesn't inspire much confidence in me, Penelope."

"It should, Hotch. Sometimes things are not always as they appear. Sometimes, you get the profile wrong because you don't have all the pieces." She stood up and went to the door. "Text me when you're ready to brief the case. You know where I'll be until then." She walked out without looking back.


	6. 'Tis hard to watch on a summer's night

Penelope took another bite of her sandwich as she looked up information for Alpha team. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Erin stand up from her desk. Her brain registered the wobble in her body just as she went down. Penelope jumped up from the sofa, running to her side. "Maggie!"

Seconds later, the door was wrenched open and Margaret entered. Penelope was cradling Erin's head in her lap and she looked up at the assistant. "Oh, my god. What happened?"

"I don't know, Maggie. She won't respond to me, and she's burning up. Call 911." An icy calm fell over her as she held Erin's hand. Vaguely, she heard Margaret talking to the dispatcher, telling them the pertinent details.

"They're on their way. What next?"

"Grab my purse. I have three phone calls to make. How long before they're here?"

"It's lunchtime around here, Pen. They estimated ten minutes, maybe longer depending on traffic."

"That's so long. All right, go alert security that the paramedics are coming. I don't think I need to tell you, but be discreet."

Margaret nodded and went back into her office to make the call. Erin moaned slightly, blinking her eyes as she looked up at Penelope. "What's going on?" she asked softly, trying to sit up.

"Angel Face, you're sick. Like really, really sick. The paramedics are coming to take you to the hospital soon. Why didn't you tell me about the fever?"

"I thought it would go away. Can you at least help me to the sofa? It would be humiliating for them to find me on the floor."

Penelope nodded and gently helped Erin to stand. It was at that moment she realized how thin the other woman had become, and she took a deep breath, knowing now was not the time to break down. They took slow, hesitant steps towards the sofa and she helped her to sit. Erin's head fell against Penelope's shoulder. "I think I'm going to pass out again," she said faintly. Penelope eased her into a prone position, carefully placing her head in her lap.

She pulled out her cell phone and first dialed Philip's cell. It rang a few times before going to voicemail. "Philip, this is Penelope. Erin's collapsed here at work and we're taking her to the hospital. As soon as I know more, I'll call and let you know."

As she hung up, she received another call from Morgan. "Hey, Baby Girl. What have you got for me?"

"Not much." She told him what she'd found and then asked to speak to Rossi.

"What's wrong?" he asked the moment he took the phone off speaker.

"My voice gave me away. Erin's collapsed here and I'm going with her once the paramedics arrive."

"And how are you holding up?"

"I'm trying to remain strong, David. She doesn't need me breaking down right now. What do I do? I know one of you are going to call needing more information soon."

"Call in the backup tech. This is what they're there for. I'll hold them off on calling for a few hours. Tell you what, I'll call Cooper and let him know what's up, too. Focus on what's most important to you here, Penelope. Philip's told me how good you've been for her, my bella Kitten."

"I just want her to have a friend here at work."

"You've been that and more. I'll light a candle for her tonight."

"Thank you, David." She hung up and made her last call. "Dr. Wormeldorf, please," she told the receptionist.

"He's with a patient right now. May I take a message?"

"Yes, this is Penelope Garcia. His patient, Erin Strauss, is going to the hospital right now. She collapsed in her office today and is running a very high fever."

"Have the paramedics arrived yet?"

"No."

"Make certain they take her to Washington Memorial. That's Dr. Wormeldorf's home base. Most likely, he'll meet you at the E.R."

"Thank you." Penelope hung up and put her phone in her pocket. She clasped Erin's hand, breathing deeply as she struggled to keep her composure. "God, please do not let this be her time," she whispered. "I know there's more fight left in her. Please, please, help her to hang on." She heard movement and looked up at the doorway. Two paramedics entered, wheeling a gurney.

"Pulse is weak and thready, breathing shallow. How long has she been ill?"

"With the fever? I'm not sure. But she finished her fifth week of chemo yesterday. It's been really rough on her, these last two treatments," she answered as she watched them put her on the gurney and strap her down. "I'll be doing the ride along to the hospital as well."

"Follow us, then." She picked up her purse and followed them out, not grabbing her jacket off the tree as they passed it. "What hospital are we going to?"

"Washington Memorial. Dr. Wormeldorf will be waiting for us there." She fell silent as they went down the hall, trying to ignore the stares and whispers of the people they passed on the way to the elevators. Finally, one opened and they stepped inside.

On the ride down, she called the backup tech and told him to be there in twenty minutes. Shutting off the phone, she gripped Erin's hand, watching the paramedics take her vitals on the way. The doors opened and they wheeled her out of the elevator. After the paramedics had loaded her into the back of the ambulance, she climbed in, sitting next Erin's right hand. Silently, she watched they EMT work on Erin, hooking an IV of fluid into her arm. Her phone vibrated and she pulled it out. "Hello?"

"Penelope? Have you reached the hospital yet?"

"No, Philip, we're still on route to Washington Memorial." The EMT held up seven fingers. "We're about seven minutes out. Are you going to meet us there?"

"Yes. I had my partner take over the case load for the day. I'll see you there in a few." He hung up and she slipped the phone back into her pocket. Then she reached out and clasped Erin's hand, not letting go until they had reached the hospital. The ambulance pulled into the emergency room bay and the doors were pulled open by a team of doctors and nurses.

Philip was waiting at the door as well and he caught her arm as she stepped inside. "I'm sorry I didn't catch this, Phil. I should have known something was wrong."

"Now is not the time to blame ourselves, Penelope. I should have noticed something was up as well and I didn't. She's so stubborn." He led her over to the waiting room, and they took a seat on the hard chairs. Minute by agonizing minute passed and Penelope found time slowing to a crawl as she watched the second hand tick. Then Dr. Wormeldorf appeared before them.

"We're moving her up to the ICU right now. Once the tests come back, we'll know more. I'm rather worried about this fever." He rubbed his face and looked at them wearily. "I'm afraid you won't be able to see her right away."

Philip nodded and looked over at Penelope. "I'm going to wait here. Will you go to the house and stay with the children? They'll worry if there's not one of us there."

"Of course, Phil. If you get in to see her, tell her that we're praying for her." She reached out and touched his shoulder, trying to smile without bursting into tears. He covered her hand with his and squeezed gently, smiling in return.

Penelope went outside and hailed a cab. "The FBI Academy, please." She sat back in the seat and stared out the window. Erin weighed heavy on her mind, and she wanted nothing more than to be at the hospital. Philip was right, though. Someone needed to be with the children. Once at the building, she paid the cabbie, tipping him well.

She bypassed the actual building, slipping into the parking garage. Once she was at her car, she popped the trunk to make sure her go bag was there. "Crap, keys to the house. Erin's purse is still in her office," she said under her breath as she shut the trunk.

Penelope hurried inside, impatiently tapping her foot as she waited for the elevator to open. She barreled in and pushed the floor she needed and then shut the doors before anyone else could get in. As soon as the doors opened once more, she was out and briskly walking down the hall. Once in the office, she saw Margaret on the phone and nodded to her, slipping into Erin's inner office. Opening the bottom drawer, she pulled out Erin's purse, only to hear her cell phone go off.

Setting her own purse on the floor, she dug through Erin's until she found the phone. Pulling it out, she saw George's picture on the display and answered. "Hello?"

"You're not Erin."

"No, I'm not. This is George, right?"

"Now I'm at a loss. You know me, but I don't know you. Unless you're Penny."

She smiled, knowing then Erin had talked about her to her brother. "I am. I'm also glad that you called. Would it be possible for you to get our here? She needs her family, now more than ever."

"What's wrong?" he asked, sudden concern filling his voice.

"I had to take her to the ER today. She collapsed here at work and now they've put her in the ICU. Phil's with her, and I'm heading to the house to be with the children." She started to cry, unable to hold in her emotions any longer.

"I'll have to line someone up for my classes. Do you think, is a week too long?"

"I've been praying that it's much longer than that, George. But, oh, Dr. Wormeldorf looked so concerned. I don't know."

"All right, I'll try to get out there sooner. Stay strong, Penny. You've been such a rock for her. I've always prayed she'd have a friend like you in her life. I can't wait to meet you."

"Likewise." She heard him hang up and put the phone back in Erin's purse, picking up her own off the floor. When she left, Margaret was still on the phone and she mouthed 'call me' to her before she left. Margaret nodded and she walked out into the hall. Skipping the elevator, she flew down the stairs and out to Esther. Talking with George and pushed her even further behind and she'd have to hurry if she wanted to beat the carpool home.

Penelope pulled into the drive and parked behind Erin's spot in the garage, leaving the drive open. Pulling out the keys, she slipped into the house, all the bags resting in the crook of her elbow. She went over to the hall closet and hung Erin's purse there. Then she went into the den to wait for the children. She found she couldn't sit still, so she paced back and forth, stopping to look at the pictures on the mantle.

She noticed the new one right away, since it was dead center, next to George. "When did he take that?" she whispered, picking up the frame. It showed Erin, Penelope, and the girls curled up on the sofa, asleep. Zoë's head was on Penelope's lap, while Penelope's was resting on Erin's shoulder. Erin had her arm wrapped around Lizzie, and they all wore a small, contented, smile.

"Daddy took that the Friday Zoë begged for a sleepover with you. He couldn't resist taking it, he said." Penelope turned to look at Lizzie. "What's wrong with Mama?"

"You're like your mother, Lizzie. I took her to the ER today."

"It's the fever, isn't it? I told her she had to get it checked out, but she wouldn't listen to me. Is she going to be okay?"

"I don't know, sweetie. Last I knew, she was being admitted to the ICU. I'm hoping your father will call with an update soon. Your uncle George will be coming up in a week or so." She held out her arm and Lizzie hugged her tightly. "Oh, sweetie, I'm worried, too."

Forty five minutes later, Zoë and Paul joined them in the den. "Penelope! What are you doing here?" Zoë asked as she sat next to her, curling up close.

"I'm going to be spending the night with you. What would you like me to make for supper?"

"Could we order in pizza?" Paul asked, and Penelope could see he was trying to gauge her response to his question for some reason.

"If that's what you want. Any special toppings?"

"Just cheese," he said softly. "I'll be up in my room until it gets here." He went to go, though Penelope saw his eyes fill with tears before he'd fully turned away.

"Should I go after him?" she asked Lizzie

"No, I will. Just stay here and tell Zoë what's going on. She'll take it better from you." Lizzie touched her shoulder as she left the room, tears clouding her eyes as well.

Penelope sat back down on the sofa next to Zoë, letting the girl put her head on her shoulder as she wrapped an arm around her waist. "Mom's not coming home tonight, is she?"

"No, baby, she has to stay in the hospital for at least tonight. She has a bad fever that the doctors have to bring down before she can come home. Your dad will stay with her tonight, so I'll stay with you. Will that be okay?"

"I suppose. Will you order the pizza now? I'm going to go work on my homework." She got up and left the room and Penelope pulled out her cell phone, ordering a large cheese pizza delivered. Then she gave in to her tears once more, burying her face in her hands as she sobbed. Her phone rang and she looked at the display. "Yeah, Sam?" she said, hoping she sounded okay.

"Penelope, why aren't you at the office? Prophet's working with the other tech, but he's no you. Is everything all right?"

"I wish it were. Oh my gosh, Sam, if I lose her, I don't know what to tell the kids. I should have noticed the fever, that she was so sick. He trusted me to watch out for her and I failed them." She felt her breath hitch in her throat and struggled not to sob once more.

"Are you a doctor?" he asked quietly.

"What?"

"You heard me. Do you have a medical degree?"

"No," she replied, wondering where he was going with the conversation.

"Then how could you have diagnosed her illness? Don't beat yourself up over this, you need to be strong for her right now. She'll need to see that sunny smile of yours."

Penelope sighed. "Thanks, Sam, I needed to hear that. Good luck with the other tech. I'll be out of the office until Monday, at least."

"You're welcome, Penelope. Talk to you soon."

She sat the phone on the coffee table and stared at the wall. Sam was right, but she couldn't help feeling a twinge of guilt for her oversight. Sighing, she rested her head back against the sofa to stare at the ceiling. "God, please heal her, I can't. Keep her safe and let Dr. Wormeldorf figure out what to do now. This is going to sound so selfish, but I can't lose her. We've just become close, Lord, and I want to know her better. Especially since I'm starting to think of her as the sister I never had. Amen," she whispered, wiping away more tears.

"Mama hides her emotions better than you, Penelope." Lizzie took a seat next to her once more. "But, if I had to hazard a guess, I'd say she feels much the same about you."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Like it or lump it, you're one of us now." The doorbell rang and Penelope pulled out some money from her purse. "I'll go pay for it, you go and get Paul and Zoë."

They both stood and Penelope went upstairs, stopping first at Paul's door. Though it was closed, she could hear his music blaring out. She smiled slightly as she recognized a Flogging Molly song, and opened the door to see he was on his computer, typing on what looked like a report.

"Pizza's here," she said as she turned down his stereo.

He saved the document and turned to her. His eyes were red-rimmed and she tried to smile a little wider at him. "Can you tell me she'll be okay? I'd believe it if it came from you, for some reason."

"I believe she will be if we keep praying for her. Your mom has an inner core of steel that I wish I possessed." Together, they exited the room and he went downstairs while she continued down the hall to Zoë's room.

She knocked on the door and then went inside. Zoë was lying on her bed, her head buried in her pillow. Penelope sat on the edge of the bed and rubbed her back gently. "Are you ready to eat? The pizza's here."

"Is Mom going to call tonight? I want to talk to her."

"I don't know if she'll be able to, honey. If she can, I'm sure she will."

Zoë sat up and wrapped her arms around Penelope once more. "I'm glad you're here with us, Penelope." They stood and went out, going down the stairs arm in arm. Paul was just finishing setting the table when they entered the kitchen.

Penelope sat next to Zoë, and Paul sat across from them, next to Lizzie. "Will you pray, Paul?" He nodded and said a blessing for the food, asking God to be with his mother. They ate quickly and then went back to what they had been doing.

Penelope had just settled down on the couch when her cell phone rang. She pulled it out and answered. "Hello?"

"Penelope, how are the children?"

Erin's voice was weak and Penelope felt herself choke up. "They're worried about their mama, like I am. How are you feeling?"

"Exhausted. This fever is kicking my ass. I can't talk long, I just wanted to check in on you. I want to be home." Penelope heard her voice fill with tears as well and wanted to be in the room with her.

"George will be here next week. I sort of invited him when he called your cell earlier today."

"Thank you." There came a sigh from both their mouths at the same time.

"If I could, I would trade spots with you in a heartbeat."

"I know you would, my darling girl, and I love that sentiment." A rattling cough interrupted her words and fear filled Penelope's heart. "Watch over them."

"Of course, Angel Face. Um, you don't need to say these words back, but I need to say them. I love you, sister of my heart. Get better quickly; I have so many questions to ask you." She paused and heard Erin draw in a breath.

There was another brief pause and faintly, softly, she heard Erin reply. "I love you as well, my dear friend. But if you tell anyone at the office, I'll have to take drastic measures."

Penelope giggled. "Of course not, our secret is safe in my heart. I'll see you soon." She hung up and went upstairs to change. It was going to be a long weekend.


	7. For the sighs will come and the kiss will stay

After she'd dropped the kids off at school Friday, Penelope stopped by her apartment to pack more clothes and grab some things she'd need for an extended stay at the Strauss home. She made sure to pack a few nicer articles of clothing, assuming Philip would want her to take the children to church on Sunday.

When she got back to the house, her phone rang and she knew it was Morgan. "Yeah, Sugar?"

"So, why did you want me to be nice to Strauss? Hotch is looking at me like I've grown a third head. He's certain the reason you're not in the office today has something to do with her."

"He's right."

"Come again, Baby Girl?"

"I'm staying at her house this weekend so Philip can stay with her." She was tired of evading the truth, knowing the time for full disclosure had come at last. "Someone has to stay with the children."

"So, the friend you've been taking to chemo is Dragon Lady Strauss? Why would you even be nice to her?" She could hear Hotch in the background and he did not sound happy in the slightest.

"Put me on speaker. I suppose everyone should hear this at once." He did as she asked and she sighed, not knowing where to begin. "I'll be in the office Monday, everyone. It's just this weekend that I need to be with the children. They're worried about their mother."

"Why Strauss? That's like sleeping with the enemy almost," Reid questioned.

"Because cancer sucks hard, especially when you don't have any friends to see you through. She needed me. She didn't know it at the time, but she did. I'm not going to ask you to understand our friendship, but I am going to ask you to back off for awhile."

"I'll see to it that it happens, Kitten."

"Thanks, Dave. Hey, are you guys going to be home soon?"

"Forty five minutes or so. Why?"

"No reason. Enjoy your weekend. There were no pressing cases to look at when we left. Dave, can I talk to you, privately, now?"

"Sure." He picked up the phone and the background noise faded.

"Go see Philip when you get back. I haven't talked to him yet, but he must be needing a friend right now."

"Certainly. Then I'll swing by the house and spell you for a bit so you can get up to the hospital and see her."

"Thank you again, Dave." She hung up and pulled out her knitting. She was working on a bright turquoise blanket for Erin, since she'd noticed that of all the scarves she'd bought her, she wore the turquoise one the most.

At noon, she went into the kitchen and made herself lunch from the leftovers she found in the fridge and then went back to her knitting. She looked up from it only when she heard the floorboards behind her creak.

"Penelope," Dave said as she stood up and face him. He looked grim and she felt her heart drop as she took a step towards him. He opened his arms and she leaned into him, hugging him tightly. "Philip said to come whenever. I'll stay here until you get back."

"And how is she?"

"Tired. Philip will talk to you about this when you get there, but her doctor is putting her on the bone marrow registry. The time has come for that." She blinked back tears and nodded.

"I want to be tested as a match."

"I knew you'd say that. So, I talked to Dr. Wormeldorf and he'll come to the office Monday to test all of us. You'll be the one to inform the team, though."

"And I'll call Sam and his team in as well. The more people, the more likely we'll find a match for her. Thank you, Sir." She kissed his cheek quickly, blushing a little as she stepped back.

"Ah, my bella Kitten, you make an old man feel young. Now go, I know you want to be there."

She picked up her purse, leaving the blanket on the coffee table, and went out the door. She drove at just above the speed limit, not wanting to get a ticket and be held up. When she got to the hospital, she parked and sat, trying to get control of her emotions.

Finally, she went inside and up to the information desk. "What floor is the ICU on?"

The worker looked up and smiled sympathetically at her. "You'll need to head up to the eighth floor. Who are you looking to visit?"

"Erin Strauss. She was brought in yesterday afternoon."

"Ah, yes," the woman said as she tapped on her keyboard. "She's in room 8717."

"Thank you." Penelope went down the hall to the elevators. The ride up seemed to take forever, but the doors finally opened and she stepped out. Looking at the plaque on the wall, she turned to the left and briskly walked down the hall, finding the room with ease. Philip was pacing the hall in front of her room and he looked up at Penelope as she approached, his eyes full of concern.

"We can't go in just yet. Dr. Wormeldorf is examining her. Did you see Dave?"

"Yes, and we're going to get our entire office to donate. I promise you, I'll find a match for her out there. If it's not one of the family, it may be one of us, or someone out there in the state. I will move heaven and earth to make her well."

Philip touched her arm, smiling softly. "I know you will. You remind me so much of her when she was younger, so driven and full of passion. I want you to bring the children here tomorrow. Dr. Wormeldorf is going to do a blood test on them, to see if they're matches."

Dr. Wormeldorf came out of the room a few moments later, smiling a little. "She's cranky, which is a good sign. I'm still a little worried that the fever hasn't gone down at all over the night. Now, I understand that I'm coming to your office Monday to do cheek swabs on your people. How many should I plan on?"

"About a hundred or so. Thank you for being willing to do this."

"It'll be a good thing to get more people in the registry, too. I'll see you Monday, if not before." They nodded and he walked down the hall, disappearing around a corner.

"Go in and see her. I need to get lunch. Um, you'll need to scrub your hands and put on a pair of gloves and a face mask, so you won't spread germs."

"Of course, anything to keep her safe." She went into the first room and did as instructed, feeling small beneath the mask. She opened the second door and saw Erin, sitting up, looking out the window. "Hey there, Angel Face. Dr. Eli tells me you're being less than a model patient today."

"You try subsisting on this stuff they call food."

Penelope opened her bag and fished out a few anise squares. "Now you've got me hooked on these things as well. It's not many, but when I come back, I'll bring more."

Erin smiled wickedly and took them from her hand. "My sweet partner in crime. Keep me supplied in these and I'll make you my minion."

"Ooh, does that mean I'll get to strike terror into lesser mortals' hearts."

"If you wish." Erin held out her hand and Penelope clasped it, threading her fingers between Erin's. "Did you get the kids to school on time?"

"Yes. Rossi will be there when they get home." Penelope sighed. "So, you're up for a bone marrow transplant. I'm bringing the kids here tomorrow to be tested. Do you want them to come up and see you?"

"Not really, no. But I know Zoë will raise a fuss until you do. While Phil has them tested, will you work some magic on me? I would at least like to look somewhat human."

"Of course. How could I tell you no?" Penelope paused, looking away from Erin. "So, what's George like? He sounded sweet on the phone. And you've told him about me."

"Guilty as charged. He wanted to make sure I was being looked after, so I told him I have a very dear friend who takes care of me. George is like me, in that he's driven to succeed. He loves music, which is good since he teaches music history. I always expected him to join an orchestra, though. He's an amazing clarinetist."

"Really?" Penelope asked, her smile widening under the mask.

"Yes. Let me guess, you played the clarinet in band."

"Uh huh. I was first chair all through high school. It was something I loved, but not something I was great at, like computers. But we can all dream of things not meant to be." She stared out the window, thinking of the what-might-have-been. Erin absently ran her thumb over the back of her hand and she sighed. "He's your younger brother, right?"

"Yes, by ten years. I was not happy to learn that I was no longer going to be an only child. By that time, I had become quite accustomed to being the center of attention and then I had to fight for the spotlight, and with a brother, no less."

"And now I have another puzzle piece as to who you are," Penelope whispered, squeezing her hand gently. Erin nodded and yawned, leaning back against the headboard of the bed. "I'll let you get some more rest. Any more contraband I can bring you tomorrow?"

"My iPad and its charger."

"Okay, how about something that won't cause Philip to kill me?"

"Oh, my darling girl, if he did that, I'd castrate him, hospital be damned." Penelope giggled and nodded.

"Tomorrow, then." Penelope left the room, pulling off the gloves and mask as she exited the room. For the first time in twenty four hours, she felt a ray of hope break through the clouds, and she smiled at Philip. "I think she's going to sleep soon. What time do you want me to bring the children tomorrow?"

"Around ten would be good. After they're tested and seen Erin, I'll take them out to lunch and head back to the house to shower and change. I know it's not how you may have planned your weekend, but would you mind staying with her while I do that?"

"Nothing would make me happier, Philip. I'll see you tomorrow." She left the hospital and swung by Sweetlands, picking up some more anise squares. Then she stopped by the closest Ulta store and bought Erin all new makeup, not wanting to bring a hint of germs into her hospital room.

The moment she pulled into the drive, Zoë was out on the porch waving at her. She got out of the car, holding onto the bags as Zoë ran up and hugged her. "Did you see Mom?"

"Yeah, and she's looking forward to seeing you tomorrow. Have you guys been bugging Dave much?"

"No. He's making supper right now. I got kicked out of the kitchen for asking him too many questions. I can't help that I'm curious."

"Curiosity can be a little overwhelming at times, honey. Now, let's go get the table set."

*~~*~~*

Monday morning came and Penelope rode up to the bullpen with Sam. "And all your team will be here right?"

"Yes, though they don't know what this is about. I'm not sure how some of them will react when they find out it's for Strauss. That lady has pissed off more people in our department than I can name."

"By doing her job and making the tough calls no one else will man up and do. People tend to forget that because of her demeanor. I just wish you could see her like I do, Sam."

He patted her shoulder and smiled. "You have a good heart, Penelope." They got out of the elevator and walked into the bullpen. Sam's team was milling around, looking like caged lions. "All right, let's head up to the conference room, people." They all followed him up while Penelope went to Hotch's office.

"We're ready for our team in the conference room, Aaron."

"Is there a new case to be briefed?"

"Of a sorts. I'll explain more when we're all assembled." She left his office and went down to Rossi's office, knocking softly. "It's time, Dave."

"All right, Kitten." He stood up and took her am, leading her out. "Alpha team, head up to the conference room, please." They looked up and nodded, slowly filing up.

As Rossi and Penelope entered, Penelope closed the door, looking around the room. Most everyone looked confused as to why they all were there and she cleared her throat to get their attention. "Thank you for joining me here today. I suppose you're wondering why you're here. Well, I'm about to tell you."

Penelope picked up the remote and clicked the button, pulling up a copy of Erin's credentials picture. "This is the Erin Strauss you know. Cold, aloof, and a bit of a hard ass." She clicked the remote and changed the picture to the one Phil had taken of them. "This is the Erin I know. Fiercely loyal, stubborn, and in need of a bone marrow transplant. That's where you come in. We are going to lead the BAU in a donation drive. The others will follow our lead."

"And why would we want to do that?" Mick asked, staring coolly at Penelope.

"If you want your searches to come quickly, as you've become accustomed to over the years, then you will do this. If not for her, then for me."

A knock came at the door and Margaret entered. "Dr. Wormeldorf is on his way up now. Should I send him in here first?"

"Yes, Maggie. Are you going to be tested, too?"

"That's what I'd planned on. We should be back in about fifteen minutes, since it'll take a little bit of time to get him cleared with security."

"Awesome." Penelope turned back to the teams and smiled. "I'll be first, of course. Now, are you all in?"

Derek nodded his head. "I'm doing this for you, Baby Girl. I just don't know her well enough to say this is for her. There's not going to be any blood, though, is there?"

"No, Dr. Elijah is going to do cheek swabs on us all. He did the blood tests on Phil and the children on Saturday. If I had know, for sure and for certain, that you would do this, I would have been tested then as well." One by one, the others gave her their assent, the lone holdout being Hotch. "All right, everyone, go out into the bullpen and tell the others what's going on. Thank you so much for agreeing to this."

The others left the room, leaving her and Rossi with Hotch. "I didn't know you were this close to her," he said, staring up at the photo. "How could I have missed this aspect of her?"

"It's something she keeps carefully hidden away from her work, Aaron," Rossi replied evenly.

"And I would never have revealed it had the need not been so pressing. So, are you in, Sir?" She pinned her gaze on him, trying her best to emulate Erin.

Slowly, he nodded and took her arm. "You really love her, don't you?"

"She's the sister I never had, Hotch. And when someone lets you in to their own private hell, it's kind of hard not to love them." They left the room in time to see Dr. Wormeldorf enter the bullpen behind Margaret.

Penelope made a beeline for him, surprised to see Hotch staying by her side. She shook Dr. Wormeldorf's hand and was about to tell him she would be going first when Hotch spoke up. "I'll be going first. She once promised to do anything she could to help me and my son. This is the least I can do for her."

Penelope felt her eyes well up. "Thank you, Aaron." He nodded and then opened his mouth for Dr. Wormeldorf. He swabbed him and then sealed it up. Penelope went next, followed by Rossi and Morgan. She stepped back and watched as the rest of her colleagues were tested.

"You're doing a good thing here, Baby Girl," Morgan said as he wrapped his arm around her waist. "She looks so human in that photo you showed up. Are those her daughters?"

"Yep, Zoë and Lizzie. Paul, obviously, was not up for a girl's night, though he does join us quite often for movie nights."

"When did she let you in like this, Penelope?" Reid asked as he reclined against his desk. "She's not the most open of people."

"No, she's not. But you know how persistent I am. However, I think the tipping point was when we got our hair cut. Oh, I do so hope they find her a match soon."

"Have faith, Kitten, I know there's a match out there, waiting to be discovered." Rossi kissed the side of her head and she smiled, watching Dr. Wormeldorf go through her colleagues. The match would come from this room, she was sure of it.


	8. And the summer night is a winter day.

Penelope was just finishing up a search for Alpha team when her cell phone rang. She pulled it out and saw it was Dr. Wormeldorf. "Hey, Dr. Elijah. What can I do for you?"

"We've found our initial match for Erin, Penelope."

"Really? Who is it?"

"That's why I'm calling. It's you. You share all six HLA markers with her. The doctor who runs the transplant program wants to meet with you today at three to run some more tests to see if the other markers are there as well. This process will take some time to complete."

"We don't have time. They know that, right?"

"Penelope, she's stabilized for the moment. I'm only keeping her in the ICU until after the transplant so she won't get another infection. But, I've spoken with the doctor and we're going to try and speed things up as much as we can. I'm assuming you know all about the risks of this process?"

"Of course, it was the first thing I researched after I got tested. Is the meeting at Washington Memorial?" she asked, pulling out a pen and a pad of paper.

"Yes. You'll need to go to the second floor and look for Dr. Langworthy's office. She's all the way at the end of the west hallway."

"Thank you, Dr. Elijah." She hung up and turned back to her monitor. This was really going to happen, she was really Erin's donor.

In a daze, she pulled out her cell phone again and dialed Morgan. "What's up, Baby Girl?"

"I'm her donor, Derek."

"What?"

"Dr. Elijah said I'm an initial perfect match for her. There are some more tests that have to be run, but it's me." She began to cry a little as the enormity of it hit her.

"Oh Penelope, your prayers are answered. Do you want to tell Rossi?"

"If he's right there, sure." She heard him hand his phone over. "David…"

"Hey Kitten. I can guess what you're going to tell me and that's wonderful. Are you going to tell her?"

"Do you think I should? I don't want her to worry about me when she should be focusing on getting better." She bit her lip, waiting for his reply.

"Do what you think is best, Penelope. I'm sure this would make her happy, though."

"Thanks, David. I'll talk to you later." She hung up and stared at her monitor. Suddenly, she was unable to concentrate on her work. Finally, two o'clock came around and she switched over to the other tech, leaving the building and driving to the hospital.

In an effort to spend some of her nervous energy, she climbed the stairs up to the second floor. She stopped the first person in scrubs and asked, "Which direction is Dr. Langworthy's office?"

"She's in the west hall, just go that way," the nurse replied, pointing to her left.

"Thank you." As Penelope got closer, she felt her stomach knot up. What if the other markers didn't match, what if they had to find another donor? Biting her lip, she knocked on the door and waited.

"Come on in," a sweet voice said, easing Penelope's heart a little. She opened the door and entered a cozy office. "You must be Penelope Garcia. I'm Avis Langworthy, the doctor who will be doing the transplant. I know Dr. Wormeldorf told me you know about the risks and everything, but I still need to go over some things with you and have you sign a consent form."

As she spoke, Penelope nodded, hearing the same things she'd read about be described. Then Dr. Langworthy handed over the consent form, which she signed with a flourish. "All right, let's finish up this testing," she said as she stood.

"Follow me, then." They went down to a lab where the doctor pulled on a pair of gloves and then alcoholed Penelope's arm. Then she pulled out a vial for the blood and the needle. Penelope swallowed and looked away at that point, not wanting to see the sharp, thin, cold, pokey-thing go in her arm. "I'm sure you've heard this before, but this will only hurt for a moment."

"I know, but it's a psycho-somatic reaction." A few moment passed and Dr. Langworthy pulled out the needle and taped down a cotton ball on the draw spot. "And now we wait?"

"Yes, but I've put a rush on the results, so the wait won't be as long." She smiled at Penelope. "We haven't told Erin yet who her donor is, and usually we don't. But Dr. Wormeldorf thought you might like to tell her yourself."

"I would like that, actually."

"Wonderful. The tests will be back by Friday and if you're still as perfect a match, we'll schedule the surgery for the following Tuesday. Will that work with your schedule?"

"I'll make it work, Dr. Langworthy." She stood and left the office, a bright smile on her face. She went up to the elevator and rode up to the eighth floor, turning towards Erin's room as soon as the doors opened. Pacing outside her door was a familiar figure. "George?"

"Penelope." He turned to face her, his face drawn.

"What's wrong with Erin?" she asked, knowing something serious was going on. George shook his head and she felt herself tear up.

"The fever came back. We can't go in to see her yet." He opened his arms and Penelope stepped into them, letting him hold on to her. He gently rubbed her back, and she clung to him, needing his strength. "Dr. Wormeldorf said she'll pull through this, but she looks so tired."

"I know, and that's what breaks my heart." She pulled away from him and looked up into his eyes. They were the same blue as Erin's. "Here I am, sobbing on your shoulder and I haven't properly introduced myself. Penelope Garcia," she said softly, holding her hand out.

"George Fernlund. It's nice to finally meet you, Penelope," he replied as he took her hand. "So, I need to get out of here for a little bit, hospitals freak me out. Do you want to go grab a cup of coffee?"

Penelope nodded, blushing a little. "I'm learning to like hospitals, since I'm here so often with Erin," she said as she let him take her arm and lead her over to the elevators. Once in the lobby, she led him down the street to a little café she and Erin had found after the second round of chemo.

"What would you like to drink?" he asked as they got in line.

"A grande Earl Grey, one sugar, two milk."

He turned and stared at her, an amused look on his face. "Are you secretly our sister?"

"Why?"

"That's how RinRin and I always drink our tea." He smiled, "But then again, you have been by her side so often these last six weeks, I'm certain some of her had bled into you and vice versa." They stepped up to the counter and George ordered for them.

After their drinks came up, they made their way over to an empty booth. Penelope scooted into the bench, putting her back against the wall. "So, how bad do things look, honestly?"

George's shoulders slumped as he copied Penelope's pose. "I don't really know, Penelope. Dr. Wormeldorf led Phil away shortly after he said the fever had come back."

"I have to keep faith, George, but I have to ask. Do you believe my optimism is out of place?" She took a sip of tea, swirling the contents of the mug around.

"Hope is the thing with feathers," George began, his eyes sad. "We'll be optimistic together. The more prayers we send up to heaven on her behalf, though, will do a world of good for her, too." George sipped at his tea as well, and Penelope felt her heart clench.

"Then we can also pray that the rest of my markers match." As she stared into her mug, she could feel his eyes on her. "God would not be so cruel as to have me be the perfect match and then have her die before the transplant, would He?" She bit her lip to keep from crying once more and looked over at George from the corner of her eye.

"No, I don't believe He would be, Penny." He slid his hand across the table and she clasped it, holding on to the one sure thing in her life at the moment. A comforting silence enveloped them as they finished their tea, and Penelope felt her heart's burden begin to lift.

As they exited the coffee shop, he took hold of her hand once more and they walked back to the hospital. Penelope gently smiled at the feel of his hand on hers, and knew she had to call JJ when she was alone. There were some questions she could answer for her, ones Penelope wasn't sure she was ready to ask herself.

During the elevator ride up, she began to tap her foot in nervousness. George squeezed her hand and smiled, and Penelope smiled back. There was something about his smile, so like Erin's, that set her heart at ease. Stepping out of the car, she saw Philip coming towards them.

"She's awake now, Penelope, and wants to see you," Philip said, touching her arm lightly.

"All right." She turned to George. "Will you be at the house for supper tonight?"

"Yes. Will you be there as well?"

"Uh huh." She blushed as she smiled at him, tucking her hair behind her ear. "See you tonight." She went down the hall to Erin's room, still in a bit of a daze. Penelope went in and scrubbed her hands before pulling on the gloves and face mask. Looking at Erin, swallowed up by the bed and the tubes and the monitors, she felt her heart clench a little.

"Hello, Penelope," Erin softly said without opening her eyes.

"How'd you know it was me?" she asked as she took a seat at Erin's side.

"Your perfume gives you away, my darling girl. So, what so you think of George?"

"He's really sweet," she replied, blushing once more. "We went out for tea just a little bit ago. I didn't know he liked Earl Grey, also."

"And you didn't start drinking Earl Grey until I introduced you to it, made the proper way, with one…"

"…sugar, two milk. Um, I do have some news to share with you. I'm being tested to be your donor. The first round of tests showed I matched all six HLA markers. I met with Dr. Langworthy earlier to get further tests run. If I am your match, we kind of will be sisters."

Erin smiled gently. "As long as you don't lord it over me at work."

"I would never do that, Angel Face."

"I know, I was just teasing," she said as she yawned.

"I'll be heading out now, you should get your rest." Penelope leaned over Erin to hug her and smiled more widely when Erin kissed her cheek. "I love you."

Erin nodded and her eyes fluttered closed. She was asleep before Penelope left the room. She went out to her car and drove over to the Strauss home. In the driveway, Zoë was drawing with chalk and she waved to Penelope.

After she'd put the car in park, she got out and joined Zoë. "What are we drawing?"

"Heaven. That way Mom will come home and not go to be with Jesus."

"I see. Hand me the purple chalk." Zoë did and Penelope began to draw a lamb.

"Why is that lamb purple?"

"Because purple is the color of royalty and Jesus is described as being the radiant Lamb of Glory."

"Oh, okay." They continued to draw quietly until they heard the front door open. "Uncle George! Do you want to draw with us?"

"Maybe later, sweetheart. It's time for supper now. Hello again, Penelope."

"Hi, George." He extended his hand and she took it, letting him help her up. She stumbled over the chalk bucket and into his open arms. She blushed once again as he helped steady her, a grin on his face. "Thank you," she whispered as they went inside.

"It's always my pleasure to catch a beautiful lady," George replied, tucking her hand in the crook of his arm as they made their way to the dining room. Everyone else was already seated, leaving just two seats next to each other at the end of the table.

As they sat, Philip looked at George. "Will you pray for us tonight?"

"Certainly." He reached out and clasped both Lizzie and Penelope's hands and they followed suit. Penelope listened to him ask God for mercy on Erin and for Him to bring them all closer together as the days went by. "Amen." He squeezed Penelope's hand softly before releasing it.

Lizzie saw the lingering touch and raised her eyebrow at Penelope, who shrugged slightly. "Uncle George, did you give Penelope her mix tape yet?"

"Mix tape?"

"Uh huh. Uncle George made all of us mix tapes with some of his favorite songs. Each one is personalized, of course, and he explains why he chose those songs for us. So, did you give it to her yet?"

"No, I thought I'd do that after supper." George smiled at her and she smiled back.

After supper, as if on cue, the children cleared the table and Philip disappeared into his study, leaving her alone with George. "So, you made me a mix tape?"

"Of course. You're Erin's friend and mine, I hope," he said as they walked into the den.

Penelope sat down on the couch and he sat next to her. She instantly curled up into him, resting her head on his shoulder. "I'd like to be your friend, George."

"Excellent. So, are you a profiler?"

"No, I'm the technical analyst. I comb through records to find information to help my teams." She sighed and stared at her hands. "Sometimes it is so hard to see the good in people when all you look for is the bad. At least I get to look for the good once in a while. But Erin has to see the dregs day in and day out, plus deal with bureaucratic nonsense."

George wrapped his arm around her shoulders, drawing her closer. "My sister is really lucky to have someone who understands her so well in her life. She's always been a bit hard on the outside, even more so when Momma died, and there've been few people who've dug deeper to find the real her."

"When did you lose your mom?"

"When I was ten. She stepped off the sidewalk and was hit by a speeding car that couldn't stop for the light. Erin was really never the same after that. But Philip pulled her through her grief, kept her from destroying herself."

"I wish I had had a Philip in my life," she whispered. "Then maybe I wouldn't have made so many stupid decisions."

"Those decisions made you who you are, Penny. If you had taken a different path, you might not be here right now. Everything happens for a reason."

Penelope looked up at him, a smile spreading across her lips. Their eyes locked and she felt herself blushing once more. "I always say that as well, it's just hard to remember sometimes." She yawned slightly and he tweaked her nose lightly. "I don't want to move right now."

"I don't either." Penelope put her head back down on his shoulder. She felt her eyes grow heavy and she spread her hand out over his chest as her breathing evened out. The last thing she felt were his lips on her temple and she smiled sweetly.

When she woke up, she was alone, covered with a blanket. Someone had set her glasses on the coffee table, on top of a CD. Looking over at the chair in front of the fireplace, she saw George was still up, holding a glass of wine. Penelope sat up and wrapped the blanket around her as she padded over to him. "What time is it?" she asked as she sat at his feet.

"A little after eleven; you looked so exhausted, I didn't want to wake you. Who's Morgan?" There was a cautiousness in his voice that distressed her for some reason she couldn't name.

"He's my best friend. How do you know him?"

"I answered you phone after it had rang for the fifth time. He didn't seem too pleased to hear my voice."

"He's been really protective of me ever since I was shot. I hope he didn't upset you."

George wrapped his hand over her shoulder and she leaned against him. "No, I understand where he's coming from, I really do." She looked up at him and he smiled down at her. "You should run up to the guest room and get some good sleep."

"I'm fine on the couch. Besides, I wouldn't want to kick you out of your bed," she quickly replied, focusing on his collar.

He reached down and cupped her face gently, running his thumb along her cheek. Penelope nuzzled her face into his hand, sighing at the light touch. "If you're going to insist on being uncomfortable on the sofa, I'll just stay here and sleep in the recliner."

Penelope giggled, covering his hand with hers. "You're so much like your sister."

"Persistent as the day is long. Please take the guest room, Penny."

"All right, my sweet licorice stick," she said, trying to break the delicious tension that had sprung up between them. "And I love the taste of licorice."

He laughed and stood up, taking her hand and pulling her up against him. Her all too easy blush returned as she looked up at him. "I like the taste of licorice as well, my lovely one, but it might just be a little too strong for this late at night." He leaned down and kissed her forehead before pulling her into a tight hug.

"Of course you're right. Until the morning comes." She stepped away from him, her lips seemingly locked in a permanent smile. She picked up her cell phone and went upstairs to the guest room. Laying on the bed, she quickly dialed JJ. "Hey Jayje, sorry it's so late."

"What's up Garcia?" she asked, a note of worry in her voice.

"I think I may have found the one."

"So, you've opened your eyes and admitted you love Morgan?" she asked teasingly.

"No, silly. Oh, JJ, you're going to laugh when you hear this, but I think I'm falling for Strauss's brother, George. He makes me smile when it's so hard to, especially today."

"How would you even get to know him? I didn't even know Strauss had a brother."

"Erin and I have become really good friends in the last two months. I-I'm going to be her bone marrow donor."

"Oh, PG," she whispered sadly, and Penelope felt herself choke up.

"She's going to pull through this just fine, especially since they found a match so quickly. I even got Hotch to be tested, can you believe it? Anyway, how did you know Will was the one? Was it at first sight, or did it take longer? I really don't want to mess this up."

"Just look in your heart. Can you see yourself spending the rest of your life with him?"

"That's what scares me, Jayje. I can, and he's only been here a day. I want to take things slow, but everything in my heart is saying go for it."

"You do have it bad, don't you? Let's see, you've bonded over his sister. What else do you share?"

"Our faith," Penelope quickly replied.

"Then that's the biggest hurdle jumped over. And I expect an invitation to the wedding."

"Invitation? Honey, you and Emily will help me plan it, if things go that far." She sighed. "But thanks for talking to me. I'll call you later with an update."

"Of course, keep me on tenterhooks. Have a good night."

"You too. Give Henry an extra kiss for me." Penelope disconnected the call and curled up beneath the covers, breathing in George's scent as she smiled dreamily. Maybe this really was meant to be.


	9. And yet, how easily things go right

As soon as her clock showed nine, Penelope began to look at her cell phone anxiously. George's mix tape for her was on constant loop in her office, his voice helping to soothe her nerves as he told her about the music. Emily came in and rested her arms on the back of Penelope's chair.

"Have you heard anything yet?"

"No, but it's only just past nine. I wouldn't hear before then, right?"

"Not usually. Do you mind if I stay here with you? Sometimes, it's easier to wait with a friend." She touched Penelope's shoulder and smiled.

"Of course you're welcome to wait with me. I had to be without you for so long." She turned to face her friend, falling silent once more as they listened to the end of 'Jumpin' at the Woodside'. She sighed as she listened to George's commentary on 'Clarinet Candy'. He'd recorded it before he'd known she played the clarinet as well, and she loved hearing him describe the joy of playing this piece.

"Who's speaking, PG? His voice is so soothing." Emily sand down onto the couch, listening to him.

"That's Erin's brother, George. He made all of us mix tapes before coming up here. I think Lizzie said mine's the longest, since there're both jazz and classical pieces on it." She felt her smile spread over her face and she broke eye contact with Emily, looking down at her hands.

"Hey, Mama," Morgan said as he came into her office. "So this is where you disappeared to, Prentiss. What are you grinning at?"

"Garcia. I think she has a crush on someone."

"Emily!"

"What? You are so smitten. It's written all over your face, oh Oracle of All Knowing."

Penelope shook her head as Morgan laughed uproariously. "So, who is your mystery man?"

"Strauss's brother," Emily replied teasingly, and Penelope stuck her tongue out at her friend. "So, what does he look like?"

Penelope turned back to her computers, quickly calling up his faculty profile. "Whoa, Baby Girl, he's a professor?"

"Uh huh. I figured I needed someone stable what with the job I do," she replied absently, and then clapped her hand over her mouth. Slowly, she turned to face her friends, only to see Rossi reclining against the doorjamb as well. "Will my humiliation never end?" she wailed dramatically.

"Kitten, he's a good man. If you're happy, we'll be happy. I just stopped in to say that Hotch wants us in the round room. We're not getting anything done waiting for your phone call. We might as well do nothing together." She nodded and stood up, following her friends out of the room.

"George!" she cried happily as she entered the room, seeing him talking to Reid. He turned and she stepped up next to him, wrapping her arm around his waist. "How?"

"Philip reminded me you were going to get the call today. He's with Erin, but I thought I'd come here to support you at this moment. And I come bearing good news. Dr. Wormeldorf says we've finally beaten this thing. Her fever broke last night!"

"Really?" He nodded and she buried her face in his shoulder, suddenly overcome with emotion. As she cried, she felt her phone vibrate, then ring. She held out her phone from her body, letting someone take it.

"Hello?" she heard Morgan say. "She's a little occupied at the moment, one second, please." He touched her shoulder and she looked up at him. "It's Dr. Langworthy."

She took the phone, still clinging to George. "Hi Dr. Langworthy. What news do you have for me?"

"Thoroughly wonderful news, Penelope. You have more than enough matching markers to make me want to move forward with the transplant. The surgery will be Tuesday at nine in the morning, and you'll be out by five. I'll want you to be here at the hospital about seven thirty. Remember, only water after nine pm on Monday. If you can think of any questions, do not hesitate to call."

"Thank you, Dr. Langworthy." She hung up and looked into George's face and nodded. He released the breath he'd been holding and wrapped her up into a tight hug. "It's a go," she whispered in his ear and she felt him nod against her head.

A few minutes passed and then Rossi coughed discreetly. "I take it this means you'll be out of the office on Tuesday?"

She let go of George, blushing slightly as she looked at the rest of her friends. "Yeah. At least this time, I'm willingly going under the knife," she said with a slight giggle.

"Go and tell Erin, Penelope. You won't be able to run any searches until you get this out of your system," Hotch said, giving her a half smile as he reached out and patted her shoulder. Morgan held out his arm and she stepped forward into his warm embrace.

"Baby Girl, I'm so proud of you for doing this."

"It's what friends do for each other, Sugar. Are you ready to go, George?" She held out her hand and he clasped it. Morgan shook his head and smiled at them. "I'll be back in a few hours, my doves."

Together, Penelope and George exited the bullpen and he escorted her to the rental car he was driving. "So, what song do you like the most? I tried to pick things you might like, but didn't know what you liked, musically."

"Rhapsody in Blue is my favorite right now. Though you made the perfect mix for me, a little stuff I knew and a little stuff I didn't. I kind of hate to admit I only knew Jumpin' at the Woodside from the jazz pieces. I need to have more jazz in my life." She sank back into the seat as he drove, a smile on her face.

"I think jazz suits you, Penny. The sultriness about you screams it to the heavens."

Penelope didn't know what to say to the compliment, so she just sighed happily. It was nice to feel loved in this moment, especially when she had such wonderful news to tell. "Can we go out for coffee after we've left Erin?"

"Whatever you want, Penny." He pulled into a parking spot and opened her door, helping her to stand. She put her arm through the crook of his and they went into the hospital and up to the eighth floor. Phil was in the room with Erin and looked up at them, smiling.

"Honey, George and Penelope are here," he said, and Erin turned her head to look at them, a weak smile on her lips.

"Phil, George, would you mind leaving us alone for a little bit?" Erin asked, locking eyes with Penelope.

"Certainly, Rin-Rin. Come on, Phil, let's take a walk."

Once they'd left the room, Penelope sat down next to Erin, clasping her hand. "I have some most excellent news, Angel Face. I'm going to have surgery on Tuesday and then, we'll be bound by blood forever."

"So, you're going to brave needles for me?" Erin said hoarsely.

"Oh, I'm not going to see a single needle, I'll be under general anesthesia before they even break those evil things out," Penelope replied, resorting to her usual giggle to brighten up the room.

"Somehow, I knew it would be you, my darling girl. I owe you so much, and I hate having debts to pay."

"There's nothing to repay, Erin. Friends do this for each other. But if you want to feel like you've paid me back, you could go a little easier on Alpha when you get back to work." Erin cocked her eyebrow as she looked at Penelope. "Well, they are starting to thaw towards you, since I like you."

"That's because there's magic about you, Penelope." She sighed contentedly and spoke once more. "I suppose I could be nicer to them. Perhaps."

"All I ask is that you try." Erin's eyes began to flutter and Penelope smiled. "You can't fight exhaustion, Angel Face. Go to sleep and get strong again, because I cannot wait to bust you from this joint." Erin smiled as she let sleep claim her, her tight grip on Penelope's hand relaxing.

The men returned a few minutes later to find Penelope putting the finishing touches on the turquoise blanket. "When did she fall asleep?" Philip asked as she started to cast off.

"About ten minutes ago."

"Ah. George told me the good news. I'll ask Dr. Wormeldorf if you can do you post-op recovery in here, with her. There should be room for another bed."

Penelope smiled up at him as she cast off the last stitch. "That would mean the world to me, Phil. Thank you." She stood and spread the blanket over Erin, and then hugged Philip. "Do you want to stay for a little while longer, George?"

"No, I can see her later this afternoon." She nodded and they left the room. He took hold of her hand on the elevator, and she threaded her fingers through his. "Your team is your family, aren't they?"

"Uh huh. Why?"

"I got the talk from Dave today, about how no one hurts his Kitten and lives to tell about it. I would never hurt you, Penny."

"I know you wouldn't, George. This may sound silly, since we've only known each other such a short time, but I trust you completely."

The doors opened and they stepped out into the lobby. "And you've made my heart feel so at ease about everything. Would it be too forward of me to ask if I may kiss you?"

"No," she replied simply, tears pricking her eyes as she smiled up into his face.

"Good." As his lips touched hers, she knew he was the one. The kiss deepened and she felt her foot pop up as she leaned closer to him.

"I thought that only happened in the movies," she said lowly as they continued on their way, his arm around her waist. She heard him sigh. "What's wrong?"

"I have to go back to Iowa on Sunday. I wasn't able to get as much time off as I wanted. I don't want to leave Erin or you."

"But you have to take care of your lambs." He nodded and pulled her tighter to him. "I understand, I fell the same way about my teams. Besides, if God means for us to be together, we will be." They turned into the coffee shop and Penelope claimed a booth while he got their tea. When he joined her, he sat next to her and she curled up into him.

"Let me take you on a real and proper date tomorrow night. Phil told me about this really nice restaurant and he gave me their tickets to the symphony."

"I'd love that, George."

"I'll pick you up at six, then?" She nodded and drank her tea, excitement bubbling in her heart.

They walked back to the parking ramp hand in hand, and she let go only long enough for him to drive back to the BAU. "I'll see you tomorrow night," she said as she leaned over to hug him. He kissed her once more and she smiled against his lips.

"Have a blessed day, Penny."

"You too, George." She got out of the car and waved to him, then turned and found herself running into Kevin. "Hi," she said awkwardly, the smile fading from her lips.

"Hi. So, you've moved on."

"I have. What are you doing back here?"

"I had to see the Director about my transfer. I guess there's no point in my saying the other position is still open."

"No, there's not, Kevin. Be happy." She patted him on the shoulder and went into the building. Stepping inside the bullpen, she was met by Rossi. "Let me guess, there's a new case to brief," she said, her smile returning.

"No; actually I wanted to ask you who you wanted to take you to the hospital on Tuesday."

"Would you mind doing that for me? George is going home Sunday, or I'd have him."

"I'd be delighted to, Kitten."

"I suppose I should be grateful he wants to take me out tomorrow evening after he got the talk from you."

"So, he told you about that." She nodded. "Well, you don't have a father to look out for you. I really don't want to see you hurt."

"I know, but he's nothing like Battle or Kevin. Like I told JJ, I think he's the one."

"Don't rush into things too quickly."

"How can you rush what's right, Dave?"

"Just be careful then."

"Yes, Dad," she said teasingly as she made her way up to her office. She heard him laugh and giggled a little herself. Opening her door, she saw Emily sitting in her chair, swiveling back and forth. "Oh good, you're here. Are you busy tomorrow night?"

"No, why?"

"Will you help me get ready for my date? I want to leave the best of impressions on him before he goes back to Iowa." Emily nodded and they began planning.

*~~*~~*

The next evening, Penelope paced her living room nervously. "You look beautiful, sunshine, and are going to knock his socks off."

"Really?" she asked as she smoothed the lilac silk dress. Then she adjusted the feather fascinator in her hair and looked at Emily.

"Yes. Now sit down and wait, you don't want to key yourself up."

"I think it's too late for that, Em," she replied as she sat down, tapping her foot. Emily touched her leg, and Penelope stilled, smiling at the other woman.

Minutes later, the doorbell chimed and she popped up, going to the door. Through the peephole she saw George, looking as nervous as she felt. Hurriedly, she opened the door, knowing there was a silly grin plastered on her face. "Hi, Penny."

"Hi, George. Come on in, you've met my friend, Emily." He nodded at her and she smiled in response.

"I brought you flowers," he said, handing her a colorful bouquet. She took them and brought the bouquet up to her nose, breathing in the sweet scent. "Are you ready?"

She nodded, handing the flowers to Emily. "Put these in water for me, will you?" she asked, not taking her eyes off George. He helped her into her coat, and then escorted her out the door.

"Have fun you crazy kids!" Emily called out from the open door before closing it.

"So, what is the symphony playing this evening? I forgot to look up the program," Penelope said as he opened his car door for her.

"Vivaldi and Bach."

"Oh."

"How much do you know about classical music?" he asked, starting the car.

"I recognize a lot of the famous pieces, of course. Plus, I know Bach wrote this really awesome cello piece that Shinji played in Neon Genesis Evangelion. And I started a classical music station on Pandora."

"Do you like it?"

"I'm trying to. There's some things I like more than others, of course." She looked over at him, "Surely there are some pieces you enjoy and some you don't."

"Oh, certainly." He smiled at her as he stopped at the light. "I really hope you don't feel you have to change for me, Penny. Classical music is my field of study, and I wouldn't…"

"George, it's been fun listening to different music," she said, interrupting him. "And I wouldn't do anything I didn't want to." She turned up the radio in the middle of 'Wonderwall'. "I love this song!"

"Pop music is my guilty pleasure. Besides, you have to see where music's going along with where it's been." He pulled into a spot in front of a fancy Italian restaurant and helped her out of the car. "Shall we?"

"Yes." After they'd gone inside, he gave his name to the maître d, and they were seated within five minutes. "Thank you," she softly said as George held out her chair. Looking over the menu, she suddenly realized she was too nervous to eat much of anything. Finally, she decided on the Linguine con le Vongole and set the menu to the side.

George was looking over the wine list, and he glanced up at her. "What type of wine were you thinking of ordering?"

"I thought Chardonnay, since it goes will with seafood."

"Sounds good to me," he said and then told their waiter. When he'd brought back the bottle, they put their order in, and Penelope sat back in her chair, holding on to her wine glass. "So, when did you know that computers were your thing?"

"My freshmen year of high school. I didn't realize you weren't supposed to rewrite the code to make the assignment easier. Mr. Groh was not very amused at first, but when I showed him it was my own doing, he taught me everything he knew. Why did you choose music history?"

"To combine my two passions, music and history. I guess you could say I've always been stuck in the past."

"Then we'll complement each other quite nicely, won't we?" she asked, surprised by her boldness.

"Exactly." Their meals came, and they lapsed into a comfortable silence. "Did you want dessert?" he asked when they'd finished their food.

"No, not really." George settled the bill while she stood and went to the ladies room. Once more, her nerves were acting up and she didn't want to make a bad impression. Pulling out her cell phone, she quickly dialed Erin's room.

"Hello?"

"Erin! Say something to calm me down!"

"Penelope? Aren't you out with George?"

"Yeah, and I'm so frakking worried I'll mess up somehow and make him not like me."

She heard Erin laugh. "If you like him half as much as he likes you, then you have nothing to worry about, my darling girl. Now go, have a good night, and enjoy our box. I'm still upset at missing this concert. I've never heard Concerto 129 live."

"Thanks, Angel Face, you always know how to set my heart at ease. I'll see you Tuesday, if not before." She put the phone back in her purse and took a deep breath before rejoining George. Taking his arm, she smiled brilliantly at him. "All right, I'm ready to go now."

He drove them to the symphony hall and let the valet park the car. "Did Erin tell you we have box seats?"

"Yes. I'm going to feel like royalty."

"Wonderful, that's exactly what you should feel like." He opened the door for her and then took their winter coats to the coat check. When he returned, she clasped his hand and they went in to find their seats.

Once in the box, she didn't mind at all when George pushed their seats close together. He gave her a running commentary on the music before each piece started and she found herself enjoying the music more because of the insight he gave.

On the ride home, she couldn't stop humming the Vivaldi piece, and soon, George joined in with an expert harmony. As he walked her up to her door, Penelope couldn't help but cleave closely to him, knowing their time together was nearing an end. They stopped in front of her door and she opened her purse, pulling out a card. "Here."

"What's this?"

"All my contact information. I know how to get a hold of you, and now, you know how to get a hold of me." She put her hand over his heart, looking at his chin, not daring to meet his eyes. "I just don't want to lose this connection I've found with you."

George wrapped his arms around her, pulling her tight to him. "And I don't want to lose contact with you." He kissed the top of her head and she sighed, resting her head on his chest. "There's only two and a half more months until summer break and then I'll be back."

"And if I email you every day, you won't think I'm a stalker?"

"No, I promise I won't. I should probably get going, though, I have to leave early tomorrow. It's a fifteen hour drive."

"Stay safe, George." He nodded against her head and she stepped back from him, finally looking into his eyes. Penelope felt herself tear up and he lowered his lips, softly brushing her. She pressed her body tighter to his, feeling her foot pop once more. "Call me Monday, so I know you're home."

"I will. And as soon as you're able to, call me about the surgery."

"Of course." Penelope hugged him once more and then lifted her head for another kiss. "Until Monday."

"Monday, my lovely one." He stroked her face lovingly and then turned to leave. Penelope unlocked her door and stepped inside her apartment. Emily was curled up on her couch watching a movie.

"So, you've finally returned. How was it?" she asked, looking up from the television.

"Wonderful. He's going to call Monday to let me know he got home safe." She sat next to Emily, kicking off her heels.

JJ came out of the kitchen carrying a bowl of popcorn. "And how was the music?"

"Lovely, more so because George kept telling me back stories to the songs. I just wish Erin had been well enough to see it, since it was amazing."

"There's always the next concert, Garcy. So, did he kiss you?"

Penelope nodded, blushing. "That was amazing, too."

"What was?" Ashley asked as she stepped out of the bathroom, a smile on her face.

"When PG and George played tonsil hockey," Emily teased, pushing on Penelope, who smiled. "I thought tonight would be a good night for a girl's gathering. I hope you don't mind."

"Not a bit." She smiled as JJ asked for details, eager to fill them in on her night.

*~~*~~*

When she woke up Tuesday morning, her stomach was full of butterflies. She quickly dressed in comfortable clothes, knowing she wouldn't be in them long. She went out into the living room and picked up her cell phone. Penelope looked at the display and saw she had a new text from George. Calling up her messages, she read 'I'll be praying for you today, my lovely one. I know God will keep you safe as you perform this sweet, selfless act. Love, George.'

Instantly, she felt better about the day ahead. Sticking her phone in her go bag, she waited and watched for Rossi. Ten minutes later, he rolled up in a company SUV and she practically flew down the stairs.

Outside, she began to walk to the vehicle when the doors opened. "Let me get your bag, Mama," Derek said as he came up to her side. She handed it over and looked at her team, tears stinging her eyes.

"Why?" she managed to ask, looking into Hotch's eyes.

"Because you are family, Penelope. You should always try to be there for your family." She stepped forward and pulled him into a tight hug.

"Thank you," she whispered in his ear.

"Of course, Penelope," he whispered back. "Now, we have a surgery to get to. Your carriage awaits." Hotch opened the door for her and she stepped up into the SUV. Moments later, they were under way and Penelope listened to them talk about nothing, obviously trying to set her nerves at ease.

"So, did you hear from George this morning?" Emily asked as they neared the hospital. Everyone fell silent and looked at her expectantly.

She paused, blushing, and then responded. "Yes. He's praying for me."

"In our own way, we all are, Baby Girl." They went back to their chatter pattern and she felt Dave reach out and clasp her hand. She smiled and squeezed back.

"I'll be with you until they wheel you into surgery, Kitten."

"Thanks, Dave." He pulled into a parking spot and they all got out. Morgan carried her bag inside while Penelope checked in at the desk. "All right, I'm going to be recovering in Erin's room in the ICU. Go up to the eighth floor and wait for me there. Are you ready, Dave?"

He nodded and she took his arm once more, leading him to her pre-op room. She sat down on the edge of the bed and swung her feet nervously. "David, please tell me there's nothing to worry about," she said, not looking at him.

She felt him sit next to her and she laid her head on his shoulder. "Kitten, I understand the nerves, but you will be fine. I'm not promising it won't hurt come tomorrow, but I know you'll be fine. You're doing a good thing."

"That's what George said." She smiled and sighed. "I know you'll be praying for me, too. That gives me much comfort."

Dr. Langworthy entered the room, wearing scrubs. Her long hair had been pulled back into a tight braid, and she smiled at them. "Hello, Penelope. Are you ready for today?"

"As I'll ever be. You are going to completely sedate me, right?"

"That's what you wanted. Do you have any other last minute questions?"

"Just one. Dr. Wormeldorf said something about me recovering in Erin's room. Were the two of you able to arrange that?"

"Yes, Penelope, we were able to clear that. When you wake up, you'll be with your friend."

"Oh, thank you."

"All right, my nurse is going to be by in a few minutes to get your signature on some forms and give you some instructions on the surgery and then the anesthesiologist will come to put you under." Penelope nodded and Dr. Langworthy left the room.

The nurse came in moments later, holding a sheaf of papers. "Hello, I'm Bonnie. I need you to sign these release forms, please."

Penelope held her hand out and took the documents from her, signing with a flourish. "Anything else?"

"Yes. I don't want to alarm you, this is a standard question we ask all surgery patients. Besides those waiting for you here, is there anyone you want us to contact should something happen?"

"George Fernlund, 515-555-1460," she said without hesitation watching Bonnie write the number down.

"Okay, you'll need to get changed into the gown now. You can leave your undergarments on." She smiled at Penelope and left the room.

"I'll give you some privacy as well," Rossi started to say, getting up off the bed.

"No, I'm going to need your help tying this thing. Just turn around until I tell you I'm decent." He did as she bade and she quickly pulled off her top and skirt, pushing her arms through the holes in the thin cotton gown. "This so does nothing for my complexion. You can turn now, Dave." She presented her back to him and he quickly tied the two sets of ribbons.

They sat back down on the bed and waited for the anesthesiologist to come in. Penelope clasped Rossi's hand once more as her butterflies started to flutter once more in her stomach. "Okay, Ms. Garcia, are you ready for this?" the man asked as he entered, wheeling a machine in front of him.

"Yes."

"Good. I'll need you to lie on your stomach and turn your head to the right." Rossi stood up and she did as instructed. She felt someone cover her with a blanket and then the man was in front of her, affixing a mask to her face. "Breathe in and out deeply and count backward from three hundred. When you wake up, you'll be in recovery."

Penelope nodded and began to count. "300, 299, 298, 297…"

"…up, my darling girl, you have people who wish to see your smiling face."

Hearing Erin's voice, she sat up and blinked rapidly. Her lower back ached and she rubbed it delicately as she turned her head to look at Erin. "How long have I been out?"

"Not too long. You were awake when they wheeled you in here, but fell asleep shortly after that. Your team is quite anxious to see you." Penelope looked to where Erin pointed and saw everyone crowding around the window, nervous smiles on their faces.

She waved at them and then heard Philip explain the gloves and mask rule to them in the outer room. Derek was the first one through the door, two bouquets of flowers in his hands. "Pretty flowers for pretty women," he said as he handed Penelope the first arrangement. "Ma'am," he said, holding out the other to Erin, who smiled genuinely, blushing somewhat.

"Thank you, Agent Morgan."

"Derek, please, Ma'am."

"Erin, then." He nodded and sat on the edge of Penelope's bed while the rest of the team filed in. Dave came in last, holding on to her bag.

"Here, PG, George called just about ten minutes ago," Emily said, handing over her phone.

"Did you answer, Em?"

She shook her head vehemently. "No, it was all pretty boy here. He brought up his eidetic memory and how that could come back to haunt him should he hurt you in any way."

"Oh my gosh, you guys, he's going to think I have psycho friends." She called up his number and dialed it, holding the phone to her ear. "Hello, George."

"Hi, sweetheart. How are you feeling?"

"A little tired still, but that will pass. I'm here with Erin until Dr. Langworthy releases me. Did your classes go well today?"

"Yes. My students were glad to see me back. Though they weren't happy about the surprise quiz I had them take this afternoon."

Penelope giggled. "Is anyone happy to take a surprise quiz?" She looked over at Erin. "Here, talk to your sister for a little bit, she's motioning for the phone." Erin took the phone from Penelope's hand and she focused on her team.

"I'm not going to see you in the office tomorrow, Garcia. You need a little time to recuperate, all right?"

"Yes, Hotch." He bent and hugged her, then stood.

"I have to go pick up Jack. See you on Thursday." The others took this as their cue to leave as well and got up, hugging her as they went.

"I'll be hanging out with Phil, Kitten. As soon as you get the work, we'll leave."

"Thanks, Dave." She looked back over at Erin and saw she was still on the phone. Penelope smiled at her and she smiled back.

"Yes, I think she would like that, Georgie. I know I will. I'm trying. Love you, too." Erin handed the phone back to Penelope and then swung her legs off the bed, standing up and going over to Penelope's bed. "Why is it that thank you seems so inadequate?"

"Because your heart wants to find words to express the inexpressible. Sit with me, Angel Face?" She scooted over to make room for Erin's slight form, and sighed as she sat, spreading her blanket over them.

"I didn't realize you and George had hit it off quite that well, Penny."

Penelope rested her head on Erin's shoulder. "Your brother's really sweet. I think people would be hard-pressed not to like him." She yawned, still feeling tired. "I didn't realize surgery took this much out of you."

"I know the feeling," Erin replied as she stroked Penelope's hair lightly. Penelope fell quickly back asleep under the soothing touch of her friend, a sweet smile on her lips.


	10. If the sighand the kiss of a summer's night

"That's all I could dig up, Sam. If I find more through my other search engines, I'll call you back and let you know." She took the mug of tea from Erin's hand. "Thanks, luv."

"What case is Sam's team working on?" she asked as she sat down in the recliner, pulling her blanket over her legs.

"Five women have gone missing in as many days on the Michigan-Canada border."

"So, they're in Detroit?"

"No, actually. They've gone to Paradise."

"Very funny, Penelope. I would hardly call Michigan that."

"See, that's the irony. They are in a town named Paradise. It's literally a ten minute boat ride over to Canada. But what do you have against Michigan?" she asked, looking up from her computer screen.

"My parents made me go to a really awful, rustic, Bible camp there every summer."

"You don't strike me as the camping type."

"No, I'm not. They insisted it would build character, and I insisted I'd be better off spending my summers reading. As my parents, they pulled rank and forced me to go. I've hated Michigan ever since."

"You never had any happy times?" Penelope asked, leaning back against the sofa, sipping her tea.

"When we had free time and I could disappear on the nature trails with one of the books I'd managed to sneak up in my luggage." Erin smiled as she thought back. "There was this lovely clearing six miles back in the woods and I spent most of my time there, reading and watching the birds and animals go by. I was closer to God there, than in the chapel sessions we had."

"That sounds wonderful. I wonder if the camp is still open?"

"Why? Do you want to go?"

"A little peace sounds like what we need these days. The cases seem to be getting worse all the time, and I can only call George so much. He has his own work to focus on."

"But he likes talking to you, and praying with you. I must ask, are you in love with my brother, my darling girl?"

Penelope felt herself blush and broke eye contact with Erin. "Is it that obvious?" she whispered, biting her lip as she stared at her tea.

"To me, yes, and only because you've let yourself become an open book to me."

"Well, I should be. After all, you're walking around with a piece of me in you. Speaking of that, how are you feeling today?"

"Better than the day before," Erin responded.

"Wonderful." Penelope felt herself tear up and struggled not to cry.

"What's wrong?" Erin asked, picking up on her distress.

Penelope shrugged and felt the tears course down her cheeks. Erin stood and made her way over to Penelope, sitting next to her. As soon as Erin was settled, she pulled Penelope close, putting her head on her shoulder. "What if he doesn't love me back that way?" she gasped out, wrapping her arm around Erin's waist.

"I don't think you have to worry about that, sweetheart. I know my baby brother, and I think he's as smitten with you as you are with him."

"Really?"

"Yes. Now, let's go out into the garden. I think the sun would do us both some good." Penelope nodded and they stood. She grabbed her laptop, following Erin out to the gazebo. She set up the computer and relaxed on the swing, waiting for another call to come in.

Erin moved the swing back and forth with her foot, humming under her breath. "I forgot to tell you. Dr. Elijah called earlier, and you have awesome bone marrow. As far as he can tell, the cancer has been knocked into remission."

"Oh my gosh, Erin, really?" She nodded and Penelope reached over and hugged her. As Erin's hand brushed over her incision site, Penelope hissed in pain.

"Are you okay?" Erin asked, concern filling her voice as she looked into Penelope's eyes. Reaching up, she felt Penelope's forehead with her wrist and then sighed. "How long have you been in this much pain and running this high a fever?"

"Since last Thursday. I didn't want to think it was anything, so I've been ignoring it."

"And there could be something seriously wrong, Penny. That's it, we're going up to the guest room and checking your back out."

Reluctantly, Penelope nodded and they went inside. She felt herself tear up as they ascended the stairs and she tried to wipe them away without Erin noticing. It was a failed attempt, as Erin reached out and took hold of her hand, squeezing lightly. "I'm sorry."

"You should have said something about the fever, Penny."

"But you had just got out of the hospital when I began to notice both the pain and the fever. I really did think it would go away." She laid down on the bed, and felt Erin lift her shirt.

"Oh, honey," she heard Erin whisper and felt the ghostly touch of her fingertips over the incision. "I'm going to have to call someone about this. It looks so very inflamed. However did you manage to function like this."

"I focused on other things. Is it really that bad?"

"It could be." Penelope heard her dial a number on her cell phone. "Hi, Dr. Elijah. No, I'm fine, it's Penelope. Her incision wound looks infected, painfully so. Yes, I know it's been about three and a half weeks since she had surgery. One moment." She looked at Penelope. "When did you first notice it becoming painful?"

"Three weeks ago," she whispered, not looking at Erin.

"Three weeks?" Penelope nodded. "Yes, that's correct, Dr. Elijah. She's at my house. All right, I'll tell her. Thank you." Erin hung up and sat down on the bed. "Dr. Elijah will be here in about forty five minutes, luv. He sounds really concerned about this."

"See, this is why I didn't say anything. The focus needs to be on you and your recovery."

"And if I lost you because of a stupid infection, my heart would break." Penelope nodded, her tears choking out her words as she felt Erin stroke her hair. It did not take long to lull her to sleep as they waited.

When she woke up, she could feel her back was bandaged and she turned on her side, looking for Erin. She was on her cell phone once more. "Yes, Derek, he just left. She's been doing remote work here at the house. When have you had time to see her? I'm the one that should have caught it. That's sweet, but doesn't assuage my guilt one iota. We're blessed, Dr. Elijah said if the infection had gone untreated any longer, we could have lost her. I wish I could have helped you more with that search, but I'm not a technical wizard like she is. I'll tell her. Goodbye."

"So, you dipped your hands into my world?"

"Or tried to." Erin smiled sadly at her, kneeling by her side. "This was too close, Penelope." She burst into tears and wrapped her arms around her, hugging her carefully. "I called JJ, and she's filling the prescriptions Dr. Elijah left for you. And then you are staying here under my watch until you are completely healed."

"Yes, Angel Face," Penelope whispered, realizing how much she had scared Erin for her to react like this.

"Good. Now call George. I know you need to feel better after I've been picking on you." Erin handed her the phone and then kissed her forehead gently.

"Erin?" Penelope said as she was about to walk out the door. She turned and looked at her. "I love you."

"I love you, too, my darling girl." She went out the door, closing it behind her.

Quickly, Penelope pulled up George's number and called him. It went right to his voicemail, so she knew he was either in class or office hours. "Hi, George. Erin said I should call you and let you know about my infection. Dr. Wormeldorf treated it in time, but I'm stuck here at your sister's until it heals. I suppose if I had said something sooner, she'd have trusted me to take care of it on my own. I'll talk to you later."

Not five minutes later, her phone rang. "Hello, George."

"Sweetheart, what's going on? What infection?" He sounded worried and she felt herself tear up again.

"Somehow the incision site got infected, and I ignored it to focus on your sister. I really didn't think it was anything serious, honestly."

"Penny, promise me you won't ever ignore something like that again. I love you, too much to lose you to something like that."

"You love me?" she whispered.

"I thought it was rather obvious."

"Sometimes, my walls are rather strong. I love you, too. Oh George, how I love you. The rest of this semester had better fly by so we can see you again."

"I'm counting the days, my love."

"And?"

"Thirty seven until I'm there again. We'll figure everything out, I promise."

"God has been so good to me, George."

"And to me. You sound tired, though, so I'll let you rest. I'll call you tomorrow morning."

"Okay. Will you leave your phone on speaker again so I can listen to your lecture? I really like that."

"Of course I'll do that for you. Until tomorrow."

"Tomorrow." She set the phone on the nightstand and looked up to see Erin and JJ. "Hey. How much of that did you hear?" she asked, blushing once more.

"Just the end," JJ replied as she sat on the foot of the bed. "Dr. Wormeldorf called in three prescriptions for you to take. Erin has them and will make sure you take them. Henry needs his godmother to teach him computers when he gets older, PG. Please don't scare us like this again." She patted Penelope's foot gently. "And don't worry, everything will be fine."

"Thanks, Jayje." The other woman bent over her, kissing her cheek softly.

After she'd left, Erin handed Penelope two pills. "One is your antibiotic, the other is a pain killer. Take both and sleep now. I'll try to do your job until you wake up again." It was then that Penelope noticed the laptop under her arm.

"If you need anything, wake me up," she replied as she swallowed the pills with the water on the table. She snuggled down into the bed, closing her eyes once more as Erin's weight caused the bed to dip slightly.

Penelope woke up feeling eyes watching her. Groggily, she sat up and looked around the room. "Hey."

"Hi, Penelope. Mama wants to know if you're coming down for supper or if she should bring a tray up later."

"Human company sounds good right about now. Whatever's in those pills gave me some really odd dreams." She threw back the covers and stood up, straightening her clothes. "So, how did school go today, Lizzie?"

"Wonderful! I'm going to prom."

"Aren't you too young?"

"Not when your boyfriend's a junior. He asked me to come with him yesterday."

"Have you asked your parents if you can go yet?"

Lizzie looked down at the steps, blushing. "No, but with you here and Mama fussing about the infection, I figure I can get a distracted yes out of her and Daddy."

"Elizabeth."

"Okay, you can stop sounding like her, Penelope."

"Well, you don't want to go behind their backs. It's better to get an honest answer, believe me. Half-truths can only get you hurt." She touched Lizzie's shoulder and the girl looked at her. "But I'll put in a good word for you if you let me do a background check on him and his family."

"You are worse than my parents, Penelope. I thought you would be the fun aunt."

"I may be fun, but the safety of my family comes first and foremost. And if he hurts you, I can make it so he never has an online presence ever again." She smiled her devious smile and Lizzie giggled slightly, unable to stop herself.

"All right, I'll ask them and let you run a background check on him." They entered the dining room together and Erin smiled up at her, patting the seat next to her.

Penelope sat and Erin clasped her hand as Phil prayed over the food. "Amen," they echoed and Erin served herself and Penelope before passing the food on.

"Mama, I've been asked to go to prom with Jason. I really want to go, but know I need your permission. May I?"

Erin looked at her daughter, arching an eyebrow. "He's a junior, right?" Lizzie nodded. "And you've been dating him how long?"

"Two weeks," she replied sullenly, sounding irritated by the question.

"I think that answers your question."

"But Mama!"

"No, we haven't met him yet, he's only gone out with you for two weeks, and you're a freshman. If he's still with you next year, you may go to his senior prom. Phil, am I being unfair?"

He shook his head. "No, dear. I am in complete agreement with you on this."

"Ugh! Really? This is so unfair!" Lizzie pouted and poked listlessly at her food, shooting glares at all three adults throughout the meal. Penelope knew Erin was right in this respect and hoped Lizzie would see that in time.

When they'd finished eating, Paul and Zoë cleared the table while Lizzie went up to her room. As Penelope watched her go, she asked, "Did you manage to figure out the search engines for the teams?"

"Derek walked me through it. By the time Sam called, I had it down, but not quickly. Thankfully, they were patient with me." She looked into Penelope's eyes. "So, Lizzie's mad at you, too?"

"Yeah. I'm supposed to be the fun aunt who supports her crazy schemes. But I'm not about to go against you. You're her parents. And having boundaries is a good thing. Like I told George, I made a lot of mistakes and those began in high school. I had two strikes against me – hippie parents and being a nerd. Sometimes, you'll do anything to belong."

She broke off her words and looked down at her place. Erin covered her clasped hands with her own, squeezing lightly. "Let's go change that bandage on your back," she said quietly and Penelope nodded, standing up. Penelope held onto Erin's hand as they climbed the stairs, needing the close contact.

Once the door was closed, she turned to Erin and wrapped her arms around her waist. "I thought by being your friend, I'd be doing you some great service. But you've given me so much, Angel Face. Like you said before, thank you seems so small."

"Isn't that how God works, my darling girl? He knew we needed each other and gave you the push to seek me out." Erin gently stroked her hair as Penelope cried. "And maybe it was time for me to change a little." She pulled away from Penelope and looked into her eyes. "Now, let's get you freshened up."

Penelope nodded and laid down on the bed, pulling up her shirt. She listened as Erin bustled around the room, getting things ready as she hummed under her breath. The salve stung as Erin spread it over the incision and she tried very hard not to cry out. "Thank you," she whispered as she sat up.

"You're more than welcome. We're going back to the office Tuesday, so you have to be ready for that, okay?" Penelope nodded in surprise. "You'll be with us until then."

"But what about clothes? I didn't bring anything with me."

"JJ stopped by your apartment and packed a bag for you. I put the clothes in the dresser. I'm going to watch some television with Phil. Would you like to join us? Phil said something about making popcorn earlier."

"Sure," Penelope replied with an easy smile. "That sounds wonderful."


	11. Come deep from the soul in a stronger ray

"I'm not going to break, Penny. I'm just a little tired today. This has been my first week back and I have to get used to the pace once more." Erin sounded peevish and Penelope smiled at the tone. It was encouraging to hear that come back in her.

"Of course, Erin, I just don't want you to push yourself too hard."

"Look who's talking. You still have four days left on that antibiotic."

"I know. I hate horse pills."

"Should've thought of that earlier," was her quick reply and Penelope stuck her tongue out at Erin, who laughed gently at her. "I do hope George knows what he got himself into."

"Very funny." Penelope went back to her searches, still smiling. A few minutes passed and Margaret came in, holding a large bouquet of flowers.

"These are for both of you," she said as she placed the vase in the center of the table. "I think there's a card buried somewhere in there."

Erin bent over and looked around, smiling triumphantly when she found the card. "Dear Erin and Penelope, Welcome back to the office. It's nice to see your faces here and not in the hospital. We hope you like the arrangement, each of us picked a different flower to put in – even Jackers. Here's to many more blessings pouring out on your lives. Alpha Team," Erin read aloud.

Penelope wiped tears away from her eyes, looking at the flowers in gratitude. "The stargazer lilies are from Reid, I know that much for sure."

"And I assume Jack picked daisies for us." She looked down at her hands. "There's another round of budget cuts coming. I just got the memo today."

"Who do we have to give up now?" Penelope asked sadly.

"No one, if I can get all of Alpha to agree to a pay cut."

"Then I'll be the first to say yes to that. Anything to keep us together." Erin nodded and sat next to her on the couch and Penelope patted her knee gently. "This really has changed you, Erin, for the better." Erin just smiled at her gently.

*~~*~~*

The weeks fell into an easy rhythm and soon Penelope was back in her own office, though she still called Erin daily. On her calendar, she marked down the days until George arrived, and then, finally, it was the night before he'd be there.

Excitedly, she called him as she watched an old movie on TV. "Hi George."

"Hi Penny. We're still on for supper with Erin and Phil tomorrow night?"

"Of course, I wouldn't miss that for the world. How did your last exam go?"

"Well, all the students passed, though some not by much. I was really surprised by the performance of one of my better students. She completely flaked out on the exam."

"Sometimes that happens, dear. Perhaps she just forgot to study."

"I hope that's it. She seemed really upset sitting the exam, though. I guess I'll never know. Are you counting down the hours yet?"

"Of course! But you have to go, don't you?"

"Yeah, I want to drive halfway tonight so that I'll be decent company tomorrow. I love you."

"And I love you. This feels so good to say – I'll see you tomorrow." She hung up and went back to her movie, finding she could only focus on George. The day passed slowly and she felt like she was stuck in molasses. Finally, bedtime came and she laid out he clothes for the service tomorrow.

She had just crawled into bed when her door buzzer went off. Groaning, she threw back the covers and got up, wrapping a robe around her body as she padded over to the box. "Yes?"

"Penelope? I didn't know where else to go."

"Lizzie? What are you –?"

"Can I come up? It's kinda cold out here." Penelope pushed the button and opened her own door, leaning against the jamb. As soon as she saw Lizzie's face, she knew something was seriously wrong. Penelope opened her arms and Lizzie fell into them, sobbing.

Penelope maneuvered her into the apartment, shutting the door with her foot before guiding her to the couch. "Honey, what's wrong?" Lizzie shook her head and buried her face in her shoulder, hugging Penelope tightly. As Lizzie sobbed, Penelope stroked her back lightly.

She frowned when her hand slipped into holes in Lizzie's clothes. Gently, she pushed the girl away from her and took a long, hard look at her. Her hair, though messy, was in an updo and her makeup was thick and sparkly where it hadn't run. And then Penelope saw the ripped, though expensive, dress. "Mama was right about him. He, he only wanted one thing." Lizzie looked so broken and Penelope pulled her against herself once more.

"Did he rape you, sweetheart?" she asked lowly, feeling the girl stiffen slightly in her arms.

"No. I kicked him in the balls and ran off, like Mama taught me. The cabbie looked at me kinda funny, though, as I sniveled in his backseat. You're going to call Mama, aren't you?"

"I have to, sweetie. But let's get you cleaned up a little before I do." Lizzie nodded and Penelope got off the couch and went into her bedroom, grabbing a nightgown from her dresser. "Here, put this on while I get a washcloth and some bandages."

When she returned to the living room, Lizzie was in the pajamas, holding a pillow tightly to her chest. Tenderly, Penelope washed off the makeup and tears, then put a Band-Aid over the cut on Lizzie's cheek. "Go, sleep in my bed." Once she was tucked in and asleep, Penelope pulled out her cell phone and dialed Erin's number.

"Penelope? Is everything okay?" Erin asked, sounding panicked.

"I'm fine, but you need to get over to my place. Lizzie's here, and she needs her mama right now."

"Why is she at your home?"

"She went to prom anyway." Penelope heard Erin draw in a deep breath. "Don't be angry, she's not ready for your very justified anger just yet."

"All right, I'll be there in about twenty minutes."

As soon as Erin was in the apartment, Penelope pulled her over to the sofa. "This is why I want you to be gentle with her tonight," she whispered, handing Erin the torn dress.

"Did the bastard…?"

"No. She's strong, like you, and kicked him where it counts." Penelope sighed. "In the morning, I'll make certain he has no online identity."

"As long as it's not illegal, feel free to do so. I don't want you getting in trouble on account of the little jerk." She stood and went to Lizzie's side. Sinking onto the bed, she ran her fingers through her daughter's hair. "Oh, my Lizzie. Sometimes the consequences of our actions are so heavy to bear." She yawned and Penelope smiled gently.

"Why don't you crawl into bed with her? We can do more in the morning on fresh minds." Penelope pulled out another nightgown, handing it to Erin, and then pulled out a blanket. "I'll take the couch for the night."

Penelope got comfortable on the sofa, and just before she slipped off to sleep, she felt Erin kiss her forehead. "Thank you, my darling girl."

In the morning, she woke up to the heavenly scent of breakfast. She sat up and stretched, looking towards her kitchen. Erin was bustling around in there and Penelope joined her. "Good morning, Angel Face."

"Morning." She handed Penelope a mug of tea. "Breakfast is just about ready. I'll go wake Lizzie." Penelope leaned against the counter and watched Erin bend over and wake her daughter up. The moment her eyes opened, she was in her mother's arms, sobbing. Erin nodded at something she said and waved Penelope over.

"I'm sorry, Penelope," Lizzie sobbed out, falling against her. "I worried you and Mama, and I knew it was wrong to go. But I just wanted to have a moment in the sun, you know? Was that my punishment, then, what he tried to do, for disobeying?"

"Elizabeth, look at me," Erin said softly. "What Jason did was in no way punishment for going against your father and me. It was all about him wanting to feel powerful and better than he is. You proved yourself stronger than that, than him." She hugged her daughter close once more. "Come on, let's go eat. You might feel a little better with food in your stomach."

As one, they got up and made their way into the kitchen. Penelope filled the glasses Erin had set out with juice and then sat next to Lizzie. Erin sat across from them and reached out for their hands. Clasping hers, Penelope smiled as Erin prayed over the food and then dug in.

Lizzie picked at her food, though she did halfheartedly eat. "And I am missing a really good Sunday School class this morning," she said suddenly, looking at the clock on the oven.

"Perhaps that's part of your punishment, my dear. We'll have to discuss the rest when we get home." Lizzie nodded and went back to eating, her appetite seeming to return upon hearing her mother's words.

They all did the dishes, getting them done in no time. "I wish my clothes would fit you, Lizzie."

"That's okay. I'll just borrow this until I get home. Thank you for taking me in, Penelope."

"I could never say no to you, Lizzie-girl." They hugged once more and then she followed her mother to the door.

"I'll see you tonight at 5:30. We're going to Ceilier d'Eon, so I hope you like French cuisine. George picked it out, I had no say in it."

"Sounds lovely. I'll see you in a few hours." She shut the door behind them and then hurried to her laptop, searching for information on the restaurant. "All right, George, swanky and elegant it is tonight."

Getting up from the couch, she folded the blanket and put it back in the trunk and then opened her closet. She thumbed through her dresses, looking for something that would leave him breathless. Finally, she settled on a forest green tea-length vintage-looking dress, setting it on the bed. Penelope matched her shoes and glasses to the dress before finding the perfect fascinator to complete the outfit.

The hours passed slowly again, but finally it was time for her to get ready. After showering, she put her makeup on, muting the usual loud tones for something more refined. Fully dressed, she took one last look in the mirror, smiling at her reflection. She picked up her purse and locked her door on the way out.

The drive to Erin's house took no time at all and as she put the car in park, she saw the door open. "George," she breathed out, a smile erupting on her face. Her steps sped up and she met him halfway on the walk and hugged him tightly.

He kissed her passionately and she melted into him, not wanting this moment to end. He finally let go of her and stepped back to look at her. "I think you're even more beautiful than the last time I saw you."

Penelope blushed and took his outstretched hand. "Thank you, George. You look absolutely wonderful as well. Where's Erin?"

"She and Phil are there already. I sort of wanted to bring you to the restaurant by myself, have some more alone time with you."

"Okay." He led her over to his car and opened the door for her. She got in and fastened her belt. When he turned the car on, the radio was playing a David Bowie song. "You remembered."

"I don't think there's much of anything I've learned about you that I've forgotten." He drove to the restaurant and arm in arm they joined Erin and Phil.

"You two are a little later than I thought you'd be," Erin said as she looked up from her menu. "I've already ordered us two bottles of Pinot Grigio."

They sat and looked at the menu. By the time their waitress came back with the wine, Penelope was ready to order. Phil went first, and then Erin. Penelope giggled when she ordered and Erin raised an eyebrow at her. "I'll have the Sole Meunière, as well," she told the waitress, smiling at Erin.

"Even now, we have the same tastes."

"Who'd've thunk, Angel Face." She took a sip of wine, then smiled when George's hand covered hers. "How long are you staying out here, George?"

She watched him exchange a look with Erin and wondered what was up. "Through July, if Erin can stand me underfoot that long."

"Or if we don't kill each other first, Georgie."

"Hey, you'll be at work most of the time, there'll be little chance for that," he teased.

"I can only imagine what your parents when through," Phil drolly said, looking at Penelope, who smiled. "I feel like we got off so easy with our own children." Erin smacked Phil lightly on the shoulder, glaring slightly at him.

"You're dangerously close to spending time on the couch tonight, bucko."

"I'll be good, my love." He leaned over and kissed Erin's cheek and she blushed, running her hand through her chin length hair.

The rest of the meal passed by with much joy, though Erin and Phil left before Penelope and George, claiming exhaustion, though the look in their eyes told a different story. They lingered over the last of the wine, talking about everything and nothing. After settling the bill, George escorted Penelope out to the car and they went back to the house.

"Do you want to come in for a little bit?" he asked as he parked next to her car.

"Yeah, I'd love to." She followed him into the den and they sat on the sofa. "It's so great to see Erin like she was before the cancer."

"Isn't it, though? I'm still amazed at what you did, love. To be that selfless…"

"It's what you do for a friend, especially one as dear as your sister. She isn't weirded out by our relationship, is she?"

"If she is, she hasn't said anything to me."

"Good." Penelope leaned forward and kissed George again, wrapping her arms around his waist. He buried his fingers in her shoulder length hair, pulling her tightly to him as he deepened the kiss. Tenderly, he nipped at her lower lip and she opened her mouth, letting his tongue in to duel with hers. Finally, she had to come up for air and she breathed heavily as she rested her forehead against his.

Part of her wanted to go further with George, yet another part of her was reticent to. With Kevin, it had been so easy to fall into bed with him and in the end, all she felt was hollow. She didn't want that with George.

He caressed her face, smiling at her. "May I see your scar?"

"Which one?"

"There's more than one? I thought they only took bone marrow from you once?"

"I was also shot a few years back. I have another scar right here," she said, placing his hand beneath her breast.

"Oh, that's right, I was so focused on the one, and I overlooked the other. May I see the scar on your back?"

"We should head up to the guest room, then. I wouldn't want one of the children to misconstrue something." She stood and held out her hand, waiting for him to take it. The closer she got to the room, the more anxiety she felt.

George closed the door softly and turned the lights on. Taking a deep breath, she began to unzip the dress, only to burst into tears. "Penny, what's wrong?"

"It's just, like I told Erin, girls like me never get guys like you. I've been waiting for the bubble to pop and for you to see me as I really am – someone who doesn't quite fit in, no matter how hard she tries. Sometimes I feel like I only deserve a guy like Kevin, someone like me. That's not you. You're too good."

"I'm not too good, Penny. I get angry too easily at my less ambitious students, I press myself too hard to perfection, and I see only with the eyes of love, not the eyes of this world." He wiped her tears away with his thumb. "I love you, Penelope Garcia, and to me you are entirely beautiful. I don't care what this world says about beauty and worth. All that matters is you."

"Oh, George," she whispered, leaning into his embrace. "I love you so much right now." Stepping back, she unzipped the dress, peeling in off her body. She turned around and placed her hand next to the scar, showing him where it was.

Her tender heart lurched as she waited for him to say something, do something. Finally, she felt soft touches dancing across the small of her back and she shivered slightly, her breath catching in her throat. Then she felt George's lips touch the scar and she broke down again. Turning to face him once more, she reached down and framed his face with her hands, staring into his eyes, tears falling down onto his cheeks.

"Should I not pay homage to the beautiful scar that saved my sister's life, to the exquisite woman who loves me?" She nodded, speechless, and pulled him to his feet. She laid her head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat. He removed the fascinator from her hair and ran his fingers along her scalp, relaxing her.

As his hands skimmed down her body to rest on her hips, she noticed her relaxation turn to desire. Finding her voice, she said, "I've been with a lot of men, George, and each relationship that turned physical ended, badly."

"And this isn't my first time, either. We're both adults, Penny."

She took a deep breath, looking up into his eyes. "Don't think I'm being overly dramatic here, but I want you to be my last."

"That's what I want, too. Will you stay with me tonight?" He leaned down and kissed her sweetly. "And always?" She nodded and let him lead her to the bed, knowing her heart was home.


	12. That ia born in the light of a winter's day

In the morning, Penelope woke up contented. Stretching, she curled up closer to George, not wanting to let the world intrude on this moment. He kissed the top of her head and she sighed. "Don't you have to work today?" he asked softly.

"Why? What time is it?"

"After eight."

"Oh my gosh! I can't believe Erin didn't wake me. I'm going to be so late!" Sitting up, she thrust her glasses on and looked around the room. On top of the trunk at the foot of the bed was an outfit she'd forgotten to bring home, neatly folded. Wrapping the comforter around her body, she got out of bed and looked at the note lying on top. "You owe me?" she read aloud, recognizing Erin's handwriting.

"In debt to my sister. I wonder what boon she'll ask of you?"

"I don't really want to know at this point." She pulled on her clothes, forgetting he was watching her, and then turned to face him. "I'm sorry, I'm taking the bathroom first. I have to wash my face, fix my hair, and then go. Call me later, I love you."

"Love you too, my sweet weaver."

By the time Penelope got into the office, she was an hour late, and the overnight tech was not happy. "Sorry, I just forgot to set my alarm last night," she said as he stormed out. Sitting at her desk, Penelope finally took time to breathe, only to have Emily barge into the office.

"You were late this morning. Strauss came here and made excuses for you. So, what's George like?" she asked, smiling broadly.

"Emily!"

"It's practically written all over your face, hun. So, spill."

Penelope blushed, turning to boot up her system. "Nothing less than perfection."

"Aren't you exaggerating just a little?" she asked wryly.

"No, I'm not. He's the one, Em, and last night proved it. There were times I didn't know where he ended and I began. And I only have three months of this bliss before he goes back to Iowa."

"You could always go with him."

Penelope turned back to look at Emily. "I've been thinking about that, long before last night. He's home."

"Really?" Emily looked about to say more when the mail person stopped by.

"I have a package for you, Penelope," she said, pulling out a medium sized mailer.

"I'm not expecting anything. Who's it from?"

"There's no return address, but it's postmarked from D.C."

Penelope took the package, frowning slightly. "Is Derek around? I'd feel better opening this around him." Emily nodded and went outside, waving him in.

"What can I do for you, Baby Girl?" he asked as he entered her office.

"Open this for me. There's no return address and it makes me a bit leery."

"Sure thing." He pulled out his knife and slit the packing tape before pulling the flaps apart. "My god, do you have any enemies, Penelope?"

"Just Kevin, perhaps. Why?"

"Prentiss, get her to the conference room now. I'll round up the rest of the team."

"Derek, you're scaring me. Why are you acting like this?" Penelope clutched Emily's arm, fear gripping her heart.

"When we're all assembled," he said, nodding to Prentiss. She helped Penelope to stand and they went to the ready room. It only took him a few minutes to get everyone in there with her and Emily. Derek still held the box in his hands.

"Why are we all here, Derek? There's no new case to brief," Seaver said, looking slightly annoyed.

Derek set the box on the table with a loud thud. "Because of this." He pulled out a brow teddy bear that had its eyes torn out. A note was attached to its chest with a knife.

"I know where you live, too," Dave read. "Kitten, are you involved in something we should know about?"

She shook her head. "I have no idea who would send this to me." A few tears slid down her cheeks and she looked at Emily. "Maybe it's just Kevin playing a joke. It could be that, right?"

"Certainly. We'll contact him, bring him in for questioning, and keep an eye on you at the same time, to see if anything else weird happens," she replied, squeezing Penelope's hand. "Let's get you back to your office, PG."

Penelope nodded and stood, noticing none of the others made a move to leave. "Stay here, Em. I'll be fine. No one can get me here, right? Battle was just a fluke." She hurried out, bypassing her office and making a beeline for Erin's.

Margaret looked up from her paperwork. "There's no one with her. You can go right in."

"Thanks, Maggie." Penelope opened the door, stepping inside. "Erin…"

"Penny, what's wrong?" She stood up from her desk and was at Penelope's side in an instant, leading her over to the sofa. They sat and Penelope clasped Erin's hand tightly.

"I, just, tell me it's nothing, and they're being overly cautious. That Kevin is a jerk and can't accept I've moved on with someone else."

"You're babbling, focus on me, look at me." Penelope looked up into Erin's eyes, drowning in blue. "Why do you think Kevin is being a jerk?"

"I got a package with a creepy teddy bear that had a note saying the sender knows where I live." She watched Erin's face lose color and knew it was as serious as they were making it out to be.

"They have every reason to worry. That's a bit extreme, even for Mr. Lynch. Promise me you'll be careful."

"I don't think that will be hard, what with the way Morgan reacted. Don't tell George yet, please. I don't want to unnecessarily worry him."

"For now, I'll say nothing. But the moment something else happens, either you or I will. I'm not about to play around with a stalker, my darling girl."

"Stalker? Don't they start out differently than this? I mean, it's just a stuffed bear." Erin looked at her over her glasses, arching an eyebrow. "All right, I'll think of the unsub like that, if it will make you happy." Erin nodded and Penelope hugged her. "Thank you, Angel Face. I feel so much better now."

"Anytime, Penny." They stood and she was not surprised when Erin followed her back to the bullpen. "You're coming for supper?"

"Of course."

"See if the rest of the team wants to come. Phil mentioned having a barbeque today, since the weather's been so nice."

"Did someone mention a cookout?" Morgan asked as he came up to them. "I can bring steaks."

Erin smiled at him. "I'll let Phil know. Stop by around six and we can get things going." She patted Penelope's shoulder and left her with him.

"You might as well spread the word, Hot Stuff." Penelope grinned, suddenly waiting for the day to unfold, come what may.

The others followed her over to Erin's shortly after five and George came out to meet her, kissing her as he slipped an arm around her waist. "Welcome, everyone. We're in the backyard." He pointed out where to go and he and Penelope brought up the rear. "Thank you for the mix tape, my weaver. I thought you said you weren't well versed in classical music."

"I'm not, yet. And I didn't make you a mix tape, either. I was still deciding on some songs to add." She felt her brow furrow as she drew closer to him, fear tingling down her spine.

"Oh. I just assumed you had sent it, since there was no return address on the envelope."

"Très weird, sweetheart." She tried to sound nonchalant as they joined the rest of the group, but her mind was racing at the implications of his words. This was something the team needed to know, but she didn't want to spoil this happy moment. Smiling up into George's face, she pushed aside her anxiety and focused on her friends and family.

By morning, though, the incident had been forgotten as there was a new case to go over and the team headed out to Texas. At the end of the week, though, she found they could no longer ignore the fact that something weird was going on.

"Honey, I want you to come home with Rin-Rin tonight. We have to talk."

"What's wrong, George?"

"I'd feel more comfortable talking to you in person."

"Are-are you going to break up with me? Have I done something to upset you?" Quick tears stung her eyes and she gripped her phone tightly, trying to get control of her emotions.

"Oh, Penelope, honey, no, nothing like that, I promise. I love you more today than I did yesterday. No, this is about that thing you didn't tell me about."

"I see. All right, I'll see you in a little while." She hung up and began to think about how to tell him about the stalker. Not that there was much to tell. Nothing had happened since she'd received the bear.

Erin stopped in her office at six. "Are you ready to go?"

"What, I get an escort, now?"

"Yes, my darling girl. This may be more serious than we thought." Penelope noticed how concerned Erin looked and nodded, her heart starting to beat an unsteady tattoo in her chest. "Now let's get out of here."

Penelope picked up her purse and followed Erin out. The drive home was silent, as Penelope needed to think, much though she wanted to listen to music. By the time she got to Erin's, her nerves were shot and she threw her car in park, running into George's waiting arms. "What did you get?" she asked against his cheek.

"A letter. This isn't the first I've gotten, either, it's just that this one is a bit more extreme than those," he answered as they went inside. Zoë peeked her head out of the den and waved at them and Penelope smiled at her before following George up to his room. "Here, but be warned, she's kinda extreme."

Penelope skimmed the letter, blanching at the mentions of her. "She really doesn't like me."

"No, and that worries me."

"Do you have any idea who she is?"

"Not a clue, Penny. Do you think she's violent? You know more about this sort of thing than I do."

"It depends. Obviously, she's seriously stuck on you. However, we have no way of knowing where she is—there's no postmark on the letter. When the team gets back, we'll add this to the teddy bear. I'm sorry."

"For what, my lovely one?"

"For bringing this drama into your life. We should be focusing on your sister."

"My sister is doing wonderfully. In fact," he broke off, smiling at her. "But then, it's not my place to say. I'm sure you'll find out soon enough."

"George!"

"My lips are sealed." He chuckled as she pouted and then smacked his arm lightly. "Supper should be about ready. Do you want to head down?" She nodded and stood up, taking his arm. Philip looked up at them as they descended the stairs. "Hey, how'd the case turn out?"

"We won, thank God. She was being set up and I'm glad the jury saw that. And how are you, Penelope?"

"I'm doing well, thanks, Phil," she said as they went into the dining room. About half-way through the meal, a neighbor's dog started barking uncontrollably.

"I'll go see what the problem is," Philip said, standing up and disappearing outside. He came back minutes later, his face ashen. "Erin, call the police."

"What's wrong, Phil?"

"Someone's slashed Penelope's tires." Penelope felt the blood drain from her face and George clutched her hand.

"I think we figured out where she is," Penelope said lowly, trying to find humor where there was none. Turning to her love, she smiled a little. "Right?"

"I suppose you could look at it that way." He reached up and wiped her tears away, and then leaned in to kiss her softly. "Do you want to call Derek?"

"Yeah?" She bit her lip, looking into his eyes. He nodded at her and she pulled her phone out of her pocket, quickly dialing her best friend. "Derek?"

"Baby Girl, why are you calling? We don't need any information right now."

"Um, well, someone slashed my tires tonight while I was having supper with Erin and the family. I guess you were right, this is more serious than I was taking it."

"Are you with George right now?"

"Yes. He hasn't let go of my hand yet."

"Keep holding on, Baby Girl. Make sure a copy of the police report is delivered to us, so that we can add it to our profile."

"She doesn't like me very much, Sugar. I, I don't like being scared."

"Then stay where you're safe, sweetheart. Let him take care of you tonight. We'll be home tomorrow afternoon and will meet you there. Don't worry, we'll catch her."

"All right. See you tomorrow." She hung up and stood. George followed suit and she leaned on him, wrapping her arms around his waist. "He said to stay here. How can I argue with that?"

"You can't really, my weaver. Did you happen to bring your go bag?"

"It's in my trunk."

"Stay here, I'll run out and get it after the police are done." He left and Zoë was at her side in a moment, hugging her tightly.

"She's blonde, like you, Penny."

"What, honey?"

"The girl you're looking for, she has blonde hair. I saw her taking pictures earlier of the house. She stayed in the shadows, so I couldn't see her face, but she just gave off a creepy vibe." Penelope shivered and pulled the girl closer, gazing into Erin's eyes.

"The police will be here in five minutes, Penny."

"And the team will be here tomorrow. Until then, I'm your guest, per Morgan's orders." She tried to smile down at Zoë. "Say, seeing as how it's a Friday night, let's have a movie marathon."

"Really?" Zoë asked, looking to her mother, who nodded. "Okay. I'll go pick some movies out and get the den set up for us. Lizzie, do you want to help me?"

"Sure, kiddo." She left the room and Erin closed the distance between them, opening her arms. Penelope fell into them, bursting into tears once more.

"I'm sorry I've brought this on your family, Erin."

"Shh, my darling girl, none of this is your fault." Erin stroked her hair lightly as she spoke, soothing Penelope. "She's focusing on George and you stand in her way. What she doesn't realize is that we will protect you no matter what."

Penelope nodded, holding tightly to Erin. "What will her next move be? Zoë said she saw her taking photos earlier, but couldn't describe her beyond blonde."

"By my estimation, she'll keep escalating until she makes a mistake. Now, if you're going to stay here tonight, I really must ask you and George keep the noise down." Penelope stepped back from Erin and saw she was blushing as well.

"Well, you aren't entirely silent, either, Angel Face." Penelope giggled at the shocked look on her friend's face. "I'm learning from the master of verbal spars. Anyway, George said you had something to tell me? He wouldn't spill, seeing as how it's your place to do so."

"Ah, he's letting me do the honors. Until he finds a house, George is living with us. Hopefully, he'll find something soon."

Penelope blinked several times, trying to make sense of Erin's words. "Why would he need a house here?"

"He needs somewhere to live before the next semester at Georgetown starts. A homeless professor just wouldn't do."

Penelope sucked in her breath as she realized what Erin was saying. "He was so close to tenure, though."

"And he wanted to be closer to his family. Some things are more important than tenure, my dearest heart."

Penelope turned and stepped closer to George, taking her bag from his hands. "I would have gone to Iowa," she said softly, spreading her hand out over his chest.

"No, your life is here. I couldn't take you from that."

"Oh, George. Do you know how much I love you right now?"

"As much as I love you." He kissed her and her bag thumped to the floor as she brought her other hand up to his hair, tangling her fingers in it, pulling him closer.

Erin coughed discreetly and they sprang apart. "All right, you two, we have a movie night to put an appearance in at. That can wait until later." She held out her hand and Penelope took it, smiling over her shoulder at George. He smile back and followed them into the den.

The safe was still empty and Penelope sat in the middle. George sat to her right and she curled up into him, sighing a little. Despite the threat out there, she felt safe here, with them by her side.

*~~*~~*

That Sunday, as they were getting ready for church, George asked, "Penny, have you seen my tie?" as he thumbed through the clothes in the closet.

"Which one?"

"My favorite."

"No, it should be in with your other ties," she replied, zipping her skirt. "But we need to get moving, church starts in twenty minutes."

"Oh dear."

"What is it? George, you know I'm still freaked out about Friday."

"Nothing you need to see, love," he replied as he hastily stuck something in his pocket. "Are you ready to go?"

"Yes." Penelope frowned a bit at her reflection, wondering what he was keeping from her. He took her arm and they went down to the cars. When she opened the door to George's car, she found a red rose and a letter addressed to him. "She's not letting up any, is she?"

"Just throw the rose out, Penny. The letter has to go to your team, of course." She did as he requested and they took off, making it to church with minutes to spare, slipping in next to Erin, who looked at her watch pointedly. Penelope shrugged, flashing her the letter and Erin sighed, wrapping her arm around Penelope's waist.

After the service, they stood in the foyer talking. George seemed ill at ease about something still and finally he said, "Go to lunch with Rin-Rin and Phil. I'll meet you at the restaurant."

"All right, see you in a little bit," Penelope replied, letting go of his hand to stand closer to Erin. Once he'd gone, she spoke once more. "I think the stalker was in the house at some point."

"Why?"

"George pulled something out of the closet and wouldn't let me see it. This really sucks, Erin. I don't want to live in fear."

"Then don't. She hasn't hurt either of you, really, as it's brought you closer together. We'll find her and she will wish she never heard the name Erin Strauss by the time I'm finished with her." The feral look was back in her eyes and Penelope felt a little sorry for the stalker. Having this ferocity on her side was such a blessing.

"I love your tenacity, Angel Face. As long as my family is protecting me, everything will be fine." She took hold of Erin's hand and they exited the sanctuary together.


	13. And things can never go badly wrong

"What do you have to show me, George?" Penelope asked, longing to pull the blindfold off her face. He'd shown up at the BAU about six and had disappeared into Hotch's office for a few minutes while she sat on Emily's desk, talking about the stalker. When he'd come out again, he'd been smiling and had come up to her, taking her with him.

Finally, he stopped and came around to the passenger side of the car, opening the door. She listened carefully to the sounds around her. There was no bustle of the city in the background. In fact, she could hear birds chirping. "Hold onto my hand, Penny, I don't want you to fall." She clasped it tightly, focusing on everything she didn't need sight for. Besides the birds, she could hear the rustle of leaves in the wind and could feel the hardness of concrete beneath her feet.

"Are we going on a picnic?" she asked, thinking they were in a park.

"Not quite. All right, stay right there. When I tell you, remove the blindfold." She listened to him step away and waited for his voice. "Okay, look at me."

She pulled the blindfold off her eyes and found George standing next to a realtor's sign. In his hands was a sold sign. As she watched, he slid the sign into the slot. "George, is this?"

"Our home? Yes. Morgan told me you had your eye on this property back when he bought it. He finally finished renovating the house and sold it to me. Do you like it?"

"I love it and you! Oh, Sugar Pie, I am so deliriously happy." Just then, movement on the porch caught her eye. She smiled as she saw Derek, Emily, and Reid come out of the door.

"Don't stand there all day! Baby Girl, we have a house to show you."

Together, she and George walked up the path and onto the porch. "How long have you been in on this? And how did you get here before us?"

"Once George mentioned he was moving here, I hurried on the renovations. My princess needs a beautiful castle to share with her prince, after all," Morgan replied.

"And Derek drove." Emily looked at him, rolling her eyes slightly. "It's a miracle we made it here alive at all. The others are all inside, working on supper."

"Is everyone here, then?" she asked, not letting go of George's hand.

"Yes. Welcome home, Penelope." She squeezed George's hand, unable to speak for fear that she'd start crying. "The movers came yesterday from Iowa. I don't have much, since I was in an apartment before, but I figure our stuff combined will fill the space nicely." He lowered his voice so only she could hear. "I did buy us a new bed, though. I hope you don't mind."

"No, that's fine." She smiled as she saw Erin's kids setting the large dining room table for supper. "This is new, too, isn't it?"

"Yes. We sort of all chipped in on it, Baby Girl. You needed something large enough to have all of us around when you throw dinner parties." He winked at her and she laughed.

"Oh, I see, since I have the biggest place now, holidays are with me?"

"I'd love to have all of our family together on the special times, Penny." She turned to her lover and blinked back tears. "Family is important."

"I love you," she whispered, throwing her arms around him. He kissed her cheek softly and held her close for a moment. "What did I do to deserve you?"

"Do you want me to list everything, my sweet weaver? Or do you want to just accept it and sit down to supper?" He stepped back and she smiled up at him. He led her to the foot of the table and helped her to sit before taking his place at the head. This was the cue for everyone else to fall in and as she watched, Phil and Erin brought in the food with JJ and Will's help.

After everyone had finished eating, George stood and began to clear the table. With everyone's help, the dishes were done and put away in no time and he smiled at Penelope. "So, who's ready for a tour?" he asked as he wrapped his arm around her waist. They all nodded and followed him out of the kitchen.

Penelope marveled at all the things she learned about her lover from the décor he had and what he did not. In the downstairs, he had set aside an office for them with matching antique desks, and she smiled at the bits of color on her side that he'd added.

When they got to the upstairs, Zoë grabbed her hand and tugged her over to the room closest to the stairwell. "This is the nursery, Aunt Penny. We helped decorate it for our future cousin."

Ever pair of eyes were instantly on her. "I'm not pregnant yet. We've been taking precautions to ensure that."

"But you have to get pregnant soon, so you and Mom can have babies at the same time." Everyone's eyes shifted to Erin, who stood there, blushing.

Penelope took a step towards her, smiling in wonderment. "Is it true, Angel Face? Are you really going to have a baby?"

"Not from my womb, no. But they harvested the last of my eggs before my hysterectomy and Phil and I decided to give surrogacy a try. We're due in March."

"Oh, my gosh, Erin! That's wonderful news!" Penelope hugged her tightly. "Who's carrying the baby? Is it someone we know?"

"Maggie agreed to be our surrogate." Erin smiled widely, leaving her arm around Penelope's waist. "This is going to be a big, but welcome, change." She squeezed Penelope's waist and led her inside the room.

"The crib used to be ours when we were babies. Rin-Rin got Phil's old crib when they had Elizabeth. One day, our children will sleep in here, close to our past and our future." George ran his hand along one of the rails and smiled at Penelope. "But enough about the future, let's focus on the now. Our bedroom is the next one over."

They headed over to the next room and George opened the door. As one, Erin and Penelope let out high pitched screams, turning into each other. Morgan pushed his way into the room while Emily led them over into another part of the hall. "Hotch, call the cops. We need to have this processed."

"Even here, I can't escape her," Penelope whispered in Erin's ear, leaning into her comforting touch.

"PG, what's in the room?" JJ asked quietly, rubbing Penelope's shoulder.

"There's a dead puppy in the bed, stabbed. Its eyes were gone. There was so much blood." Penelope burst into a fresh bout of tears and moved from Erin's arms into George's. "I won't let her destroy my home. This is my place, my family, and if she thinks she's going to break it up, she's crazy."

"Honey, she's a stalker, she is crazy," Emily said as she came out of the bedroom. "We're going to find her and bring her to justice, I promise." Penelope nodded.

"Phil brought the kids down to the living room. Let's join them," George said lowly. "You don't need to be around when the police do their forensics stuff." He led them downstairs and Penelope collapsed on the sofa next to Zoë, who curled up into her. George sat on the floor at her feet, and she absently ran her fingers through his thick hair.

Erin sat on Phil's lap, curling up into him as he held her, running his fingers along her shoulders. "Penny, I'd feel better if you stayed at our home tonight. We could make it a sleepover for just us girls."

"Did I hear sleepover?" JJ asked as she joined them. "I can bring ice cream."

"Ooh, and I'll bring some movies," Ashley said, a quick smile on her face.

"Well, if we're all going, I suppose I could bring something to drink. May we come?" Emily asked Erin. Penelope watched the look that passed between them and knew they were doing this to keep an eye on her.

"And Paul and I will stay here with George. Have a wonderful night." Phil kissed Erin's cheek lightly and pushed her off his lap. George helped Penelope up, kissing her as well. Emily took Penelope's arm and they followed Erin and the girls out.

"Aunt Penny, ride with us," Zoë said, waving her over. She extricated herself from Emily and jogged over to the car, getting in the front seat. Erin drove home, her knuckles white on the steering wheel.

At home, the girls ran on ahead into their bedrooms while Erin and Penelope went up to the linen closet, grabbing out pillows and blankets, carrying them down to the rec room. "I can take care of myself, Erin."

"I know, my darling girl, but you still don't know how to shoot a gun. I'll feel safer with you here in the midst of all of us." Erin patted her shoulder lightly, and then placed the pillows out in front of the television.

About twenty minutes later, the doorbell rang and Erin went to answer it. She returned moments later with JJ and Ashley. "Emily's a few minutes out, still," JJ said as she set the bag she was holding down. "She lives further out than us."

Penelope called the girls down and they claimed the sofa, already in pajamas. Erin shook her head and sat down in the recliner. "So we get the floor?" Ashley asked, a slight whine in her voice.

"I'm just glad to be with my friends," Emily said, holding a case of soda in one hand and a case of beer in the other. "I couldn't say that last year." This quickly mollified Ashley and she took the soda from Emily and set it on the floor.

"So, I brought my movie collection, I didn't know what we'd be in the mood for," Ashley finally said after everyone was settled. She pulled a large case onto her lap, unzipping it. "And yes, there is a lot of Disney. Escapism isn't always bad."

Zoë slid down to join her and flipped through the DVDs. "Ooh, let's watch Free Willy first." She pulled out the disc and slipped it into the player before curling up on the couch once more, soda in hand.

Penelope pulled out two beers from the case, handing one to Erin as she sat at her feet. Absently, the other woman ran her fingers through Penelope's hair as they watched the screen. When the movie was over, Ashley put another one in while JJ passed around ice cream to everyone.

Halfway through Unaccompanied Minors, George called and Penelope answered lowly. "Hello?"

"Hello, my sweet weaver. I hope your night's going better now. Morgan and I are buying a new mattress tonight, as well as new locks. I'm sorry she scared you, my love."

"I know, but it's not your fault. They'll find her, I know they will. My heart yearns for you."

"And mine for you. I was hoping to christen the house tonight."

"I was, too. There's always tomorrow." She blushed when she realized she had everyone looking at her. "I'll talk to you later, George. I love you."

"I love you, too, Penelope. Sweetest dreams." They hung up and she was still blushing. She turned her face into Erin's leg, trying to get control of her emotions.

"So, when's the wedding?" Emily asked, tugging on Penelope's arm.

"He has to ask me to marry him, first," she responded, looking at her friend and smiling. "We haven't discussed marriage yet, though it could be considered a foregone conclusion, since we're each other's last."

"Last what?" Zoë asked as Lizzie pinched her. "Ow! Mom!"

"Lizzie," Erin said warningly and the girl frowned. "I know, but she's entitled to ask questions. She'll know about those things soon enough anyway."

"Oh, are you talking about bumping uglies? Jane said her sister has bumped the entire football team, since she's the head cheerleader." Emily, Ashley, and JJ tried to stifle their laughter as Penelope and Erin stared at Zoë. "What? That's what she said."

"Well you don't need to put it quite so crudely, young lady. Penelope and George share a very special bond and have committed themselves to each other. Often. And loudly."

It was Penelope's turn to gasp. "Erin! We toned it down, unlike you and Phil." Erin blushed bright red. "Ah, tit for tat, Angel Face."

"If you guys are going to talk about sex, I'm going to bed. Come on, Zoë." The girls got up and went upstairs as the women dissolved into giggles. It felt good to be free like this with her friends, even if there was a psychopath intent on pulling her and George apart out there.

"So, tell us more about you and George," Emily said. "My sex life is nil at the moment, might as well live vicariously."

Penelope began to spill the less salacious details of their relationship and soon everyone was chiming in with stories of their own, even Erin. Penelope relaxed back against her, pleased that she had finally brought the team and her friend together in harmony.

*~~*~~*

"…and don't forget, supper's at five tonight. I'm so glad you get to leave early today."

"Your sister arranged it so we could all leave early today. It'll be nice to spend the fourth on the Capitol lawn, watching the fireworks. Do I need to bring anything?"

"Other than your sweet self? No. I'll see you at five."

Penelope hung up and reclined in her chair, sighing. Everyone, Jack and Jessica, JJ, Will, and Henry, too, was meeting them tonight to see the fireworks. They'd gotten together more often since George had bought the house, and their family dynamic had tightened. Though the stalker had also ramped up her games along the way. There were almost daily letters to her or George with creepy pictures attached and more sightless teddy bears delivered to her at the office. Rather than making her more terrified, it was beginning to piss her off. She wanted the annoyant out of her otherwise idyllic life.

The hours went by and soon she was logging out and going down into the bullpen. Rossi left his office at the same time and walked with her out to the elevators. "My agent's letting us use her VIP area tonight, Kitten. We'll have some of the best spots to see the fireworks from."

"Oh, thanks, Dave. I can't believe we'll all be together again so soon."

"This is important to you and George. You know we'll do anything for you." He kissed her cheek lightly and she smiled.

"I know we aren't engaged yet, but when we do get married, will you walk me down the aisle?"

"I would be honored to, Penelope." She threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly. They got in the elevator together and he escorted her to her car. "We'll see you tonight!" he called out as she drove off, and wide grin on his face.

Penelope parked next to George in the garage and went inside. "Honey, I'm home!" she said as she went into the kitchen. He was standing in front of the stove, stirring a pan of pasta sauce. She wrapped her arms around him and he covered her hands with his free one.

"Hello, love. Did you have a good day?"

"Yes. And you?"

"The best. I've been talking to a few of my new students via email. Some of them have questions on the class and it won't even start until the end of August. Oh, and you remember that student I told you about? Anna VanderPloeg? She transferred here and is going to retake the course for a better grade. She said it was a happy coincidence."

Penelope got a funny feeling in her stomach when George told her that. She didn't really believe in coincidence, not with the job she had. She tried to push aside the feeling and smiled, kissing his cheek. "So, what can I do?"

"Open the wine and pour us a glass," he replied, taking the sauce pan off the burner.

She went into the dining room and found a bouquet of daisies and lilies next to her spot. Her smile widened and she poured their wine. As she listened, she could make out the strains of 'Wonderwall' in the background and began to sing along. She was just finishing the song when he came out with their food. "You remembered," she said softly.

"I've tried to remember everything. I'm sure there's something I've forgotten, but not your favorite song." He pulled out her seat as a jazz number began to play. It wasn't one she recognized, but pretty nonetheless. As they ate, the music kept playing, some songs she didn't know mixed in with those she did.

By the last song in the hodgepodge mix, she knew there was a pattern she couldn't find. 'Wonderwall' began again and she finally asked, "What's the name of the next song?"

"'I've Got the World on a String'. It's Diana Krall singing."

"It's so pretty." She picked at her desert, trying to put the puzzle together. What do these songs have in common? Let's see, there's Wonderwall, I've Got the World on a String, L-O-V-E, that other song I don't know, then You Are Loved, Once Upon a Dream, Umbrella… She gasped as suddenly she understood what he was asking her. Her eyes filled with tears and she looked over, only to find him at her side on one knee, a ringbox in his outstretched hand.

"Penelope Garcia, will you marry me?"

"Yes. Oh George, yes." He opened the ring box and pulled out the large princess cut emerald. Holding out her hand, she let the tears fall as he slipped the ring on. "I love you."

"I love you, too, Penelope." She leaned forward and wrapped him into a tight embrace as he kissed her sweetly.

"What would you have done if I hadn't gotten the message?" she asked, looking at her ring as she caught the light with it.

"I knew you would get it. But I was going to ask you tonight no matter what. I want us to be together for the rest of our lives. I want you to be Mrs. George Fernlund. Or Mrs. George Garcia, whichever you'd prefer."

"Penelope Fernlund does have a nice ring to it. And now I get to plan a party like no other. Is it time to leave yet? I can't wait to surprise – wait, they already know, don't they? That's why Rossi was grinning like a Cheshire cat when I left."

George nodded sheepishly. "Since your parents are gone, I went to your supervisors to clear it with them first. Aaron and Dave are like fathers to you, Penny, and I wanted their blessing. It sort of slipped out when Morgan walked in on our discussion." He kissed her again. "But they should be there by now. Let's go celebrate our engagement."

He helped her to her feet and they blew out the candles. Before she left, she grabbed a dark pink lily and stuck it in her hair.

Parking was a nightmare, but George eventually found a spot and hand in hand they began to walk to where Rossi had said to meet him. As they were going along, the crowd got larger and Penelope lost her grip on George's hand. Looking around, she couldn't find him and began to push through people, her stomach knotting up again.

"Scream and you die," someone said lowly in her ear, the barrel of a gun jabbing into her side. "Follow me." Penelope nodded mutely, letting the woman lead her away. They got in a nearby car and Penelope began to look for escape options.

"Look, Anna, you won't get away with this. I work for the FBI. My team will find us and put you away."

"Like they've been able to stop me so far, Penelope? George is mine. I understand him, you don't. How can you? You're not a musician. You're just some two bit floozy who thinks she can come between true love."

Anna focused on the road, allowing Penelope to send a quick SOS text to Morgan and George. Tapping away on her iPhone, she set up a GPS search to track the car on her office computer and then 'lost' the phone under the passenger seat. She would be found sooner rather than later if she had her way.

They pulled into the parking lot of a seedy motel and Anna tugged her from the vehicle. Terror gripped Penelope as she realized they were going to abandon the car and she dropped her flower onto the ground before Anna could see. On the corner of the street, the deranged girl hailed a taxi, shoving Penelope in. "862 East Morris."

The driver nodded and took off, driving quickly through the now deserted streets. Soon he was stopping in front of a decrepit house. "Are you sure this is the place, ladies?" he asked, a touch of concern in his voice.

"Yes," Anna said firmly, handing the man a hundred dollar bill. She pulled Penelope from the cab and led her up the walkway and into the house. Once the door was closed, she pulled the gun back out of her pocket and aimed it at Penelope. "Go over there and grab the rope. Then come and sit on this chair."

Penelope nodded, hoping that if she did as told, Anna wouldn't harm her. Anna took the rope and tightly bound her to the chair. "Why are you doing this to us? He loves me, Anna."

"No, he loves me. You have him under some sort of spell and once you're out of the way, he'll snap out of it and end up with me. Why do you think I enrolled in his class once more? I'll be in front of him three days a week and George will see my devotion. After all, I am thinner, prettier, and smarter than you."

Penelope struggled not to cry as she stared at Anna. "But have you thought about his family? His sister loves me and thinks you are a psycho. She'll never get over this."

"Yes, she will. I will make her love me like she loves you. With you gone, they'll all forget you and remember me."

"Never. I'm more her sister now than you would ever be. My marrow runs through her veins!"

"Shut up!" Anna backhanded Penelope, cutting her lip open. She aimed the gun at Penelope's head and Penelope scrambled for something to say that would stop the woman.

"If you kill me, you kill his child. He'll never love you if you do that." She silently prayed God would forgive her lie made under such duress.

Anna's face turned purple and she stormed out of the room. Seconds later, she heard a door slam and she was alone. Time crawled by and Penelope could hear cars drive by on the road. "Please, God, let them find me. I want to live to be Mrs. George Fernlund." A few tears slipped down her face and she struggled not to break down completely. Now was not the time for that. She heard Morgan's voice in her head, telling her to focus. She tested her bonds, but found them tight. She tried sucking in her stomach to make herself smaller, but that did no good, either.

Some time later, Anna returned, somewhat breathless. "Your team moves quickly. They were at the hotel I was staying at when I picked up the car. How did they know I had been there? Where's your cell phone?" She rooted through Penelope's purse, getting more angry as she couldn't find the phone. "Where did you stash it, bitch?"

"Somewhere you won't find it." It was the wrong thing to say and Anna backhanded her again. In her rage, she focused on Penelope, not the door behind her and Penelope struggled to keep a poker face as Morgan and Hotch silently entered the room. Erin was hot on their heels, her gun drawn, her face tight.

"FBI! Freeze!" Morgan yelled, aiming his gun at Anna. She whirled around and pressed her gun to Penelope's temple. "Don't do it, Anna."

"Why not? If I can't have George, neither can she." Anna made to fire the gun when a shot rang out and she fell to the ground, gasping in pain.

"You're not going to hurt my sister or brother any longer," Erin whispered, lowering her weapon. Then she ran over to Penelope, untying her as quickly as she could. "My darling girl, are you all right? How badly did she hurt you?" Erin wiped her face clean of fresh blood and gasped at the cut on her lip.

"I'm sure it looks worse than it is. She only hit me twice." Penelope fell forward into Erin's arms, burying her face in her shoulder as she sobbed. "Take me home?"

"Of course, darling." She helped Penelope up and they turned to look at Hotch. "Are we free to go?"

"Certainly. It's not like she's going anywhere."

"She's dead?"

"Yes."

"God rest her soul. We'll see you back at home when you've cleared the scene. I'm sure Phil has Jack asleep by now." Erin led Penelope out, never saying a word to her about the tightness with which Penelope held her.

"I'm sorry you had to kill her, Angel Face."

"I am, too." Erin opened her car door and Penelope slid in, pulling on her seatbelt. Erin drove to her house and Penelope smiled slightly to see every light downstairs on. They parked and before Penelope could open her door, JJ and Emily were at her side, doing it for her.

"PG, you're okay! Let's get you inside. You have a very nervous fiancé to calm." With one woman on each arm, she was led inside and into the den. George was talking to Phil and they both stopped as she entered the room.

"My sweet weaver," he whispered as he took Penelope in his arms. She burst into tears once more, her shoulders shaking as he rubbed her back. "Oh, my love, you're safe. Thank you, Rin-Rin."

"Everyone is staying here tonight. We need to be together," Phil said. "There's more than enough room for us all." Penelope was surprised to hear the others agree.

George led her over to the sofa and helped her to sit. Penelope leaned on him and curled her hand on his chest, yawning slightly. "Go to sleep, my love. We'll watch over you and keep you safe." Her eyes fluttered closed as her breathing evened out. Soon she was asleep, safe in the presence of her loved ones.


	14. If the heart be true and the love be strong

"Come on guys, tell me where you're taking me." Penelope pouted behind the blindfold she wore, only to hear JJ laugh.

"I don't think so, Garcia. Your bachelorette party is under wraps until you get there. That's what we agreed on. Trust us."

"I do. I just want to know what we're doing."

"Having fun. That is mandatory tonight," Emily responded, patting Penelope's hand. "I can't believe you're getting married tomorrow!"

"I know, the time's gone by so quickly. Six months ago, everything looked so different. And now I'm going to be Mrs. George Fernlund."

"Plus, you have a built in nickname," JJ said.

"What?"

"Fernie."

"Really? I'm going to be a plant?"

"That was my nickname all through school, Penny. You might as well get used to it."

"Yes, Angel Face." She sat back in the seat and reached out for Erin's hand. As she'd planned the wedding, they'd become even closer. Now the day was almost here and Penelope suddenly found herself nervous.

"Don't worry, my darling girl, he loves you," Erin whispered in her ear, squeezing her hand tenderly. "You're going to have a long, happy, life together." Penelope nodded and leaned in to her sister until their shoulders touched. Soon, the car was stopping and they all got out. Erin took the blindfold off and revealed they were at a karaoke bar.

"Oh."

"What is it?" JJ asked.

"I'll be the DD tonight, okay?"

"Where's the fun in that?" Emily said as they made their way to the door.

"Well, Mommy would like to drink, but I think Baby would feel differently."

"PG! How far along are you?"

"A month, maybe. We wanted to start a family right away, so I went off birth control since I heard it can take a few cycles to get up to being really fertile again. I guess I'm just really, really fertile."

"I'm going to be an auntie."

"And our children will grow up together. There's only going to be seven months between them." Penelope hugged Erin tightly before they sat down, enjoying the dazed looks on all their faces. "Club soda, please," she said to the waitress, and listened to the chatter around her. She really did have a wonderful family.

*~~*~~*

The next day, they got to the church early. Erin had helped her bring everything over on Thursday so they wouldn't have to scramble before the ceremony. Emily and JJ were waiting on the steps for them and they went in together.

"George and the boys are already getting changed upstairs," JJ said. "The florist is on her way and should be here in fifteen minutes. The photographer is taking pictures of the men and will be down with us in about ten minutes, she said."

"Thanks, Jayje. I don't know how I'd've gotten by without your help."

"Organizing things is my specialty. Now let's get you downstairs and ready." They went down on the elevator and Penelope put her hand on her stomach, trying to get the butterflies to calm down a little.

Once in the changing room, JJ and Emily stripped right down and began to get dressed. Emily's scar was prominent on her stomach, time not yet dulling it to silver or white. "It doesn't hurt anymore, Penelope."

"Maybe not you, but it still hurts my heart to think we almost lost you." Penelope wiped her eyes carefully, not wanting to mess up her makeup. As she stripped down, Erin unwrapped her lingerie from the delicate paper wrappings. Penelope blushed at the thought of her friends seeing her nude.

"We're all girls, darling. You don't have anything we haven't seen before," Erin said lowly as she unhooked Penelope's bra and helped her into the overbust corset. As Penelope held it close to her, Erin tightened the laces on the back. "Not too tight, though. I want the baby to be able to breathe."

Erin was helping her step into the dress as the photographer entered. She took numerous pictures of them adjusting the dress so it looked perfect on Penelope. Once Erin was dressed, they took a few group shots and then Penelope sat on one of the chairs while Emily affixed the veil in her hair The veil had been in Erin's family for generations, and it was said that each bride who wore it was blessed with a happy marriage.

The florist delivered their bouquets shortly after that and more time was spent taking pictures. And then Rossi was knocking on the door. "It's time, Kitten. The guys are outside, ready to line up." She nodded, her stomach still fluttering nervously.

Penelope took his arm and went into the hall. Phil and Erin stood in front of them, with Spencer and JJ and Derek and Emily in front of them. They walked up the stairs and waited in the narthex to hear the music, just like they had rehearsed Thursday night.

'Canon in D' began and Derek and Emily started down the aisle. Once Erin and Phil had reached their places, the organist gave the traditional cue for everyone to stand and then began to play 'Wonderwall'. There was a gently murmur of laughter as people recognized the song and that helped calm Penelope as she walked down on Dave's arm. Once they'd reached the front, she was grinning and trying not to cry.

The music stopped and the minister began to speak. "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to witness the marriage of Penelope Garcia and George Fernlund. Who gives this bride to this husband?"

As one, the teams responded, "We do." Rossi lifted her veil and kissed her cheek softly before letting the veil cover her face once more. He placed her arm on George's and took a seat in the front pew.

"Penelope and George have already faced and shared mutual sorrow over the illness of his sister, who, praise God, is now eight months cancer free. This experience has cleaved them together much more than most couples. Then again, they're not most couples.

"When you find the right person to fill the hole in your life, you run to them and find ways to be with them. Penelope and George shared with me how she would listen in on his lectures while he was still at Iowa State. She wanted to be close to him and this was her way of doing so, since she was unable to move out there and be with him. George, in turn, wrote her long letters and emails which she treasured in her heart.

"Their love models how we should love God. We should want to be as close to Him as we possibly can, seeking out ways to be near Him. We have His love letters to us already at our fingertips, all we need to do is seek them out and treasure them in our hearts. Shall we pray?"

As the pastor prayed, George clasped Penelope's hand, squeezing gently. She squeezed back, sniffling a little. She knew that at any moment, she was going to cry, there was no getting around it. "Amen," she quietly echoed at the end of the prayer.

"And now our soloist, William Alber, will sing a song that George picked out for his bride entitled 'If You Could See What I See'." The older man stood up and approached the platform, picking up a hand-held microphone.

Penelope listened to words and felt her eyes tear up as he sang about love and true beauty. "Oh, George," she whispered, swiping her finger underneath her eyes to clear them. When the song ended, Aaron stood and went to the pulpit, pulling out some sheets of paper that had his reading written on them.

"Penelope and George, thank you for including me in your special day. Having given me free reign to choose a reading for the ceremony, I wracked my brain, thinking of something that would fit the two of you. I finally settled on Kahlil Gibran. From his poem The Prophet, 'On Love'."

He read clearly, his strong voice filling the church as the words washed over them. Penelope's favorite lines were: 'Love possesses not nor would it be possessed; For love is sufficient unto love. When you love you should not say 'God is in my heart,' but rather 'I am in the heart of God'." It was pointless to try and stop her tears and she just let them fall.

Just like they'd rehearsed, after Aaron's reading they lit their unity candle while a cellist played 'Air on a G String'. She smiled at George through her veil as the candles glowed with fresh fire.

Taking their places once more, the minister spoke. "Penelope and George have decided to write their own vows for this special day. Penelope, will you begin?"

She nodded, handing her bouquet to Erin before turning and facing George. "My love, I knew I was falling for you the moment you let me sleep on you after we got the news about Erin. You've kept me sane amidst all the insane things that have happened in our lives since then and I know I've finally found my heart's home. I promise you, from now until we leave this earth, I will be faithful to you and our children. If we get angry, I'll try to resolve things before we go to bed so that the sun will never set on our anger. I love you. Thank you for filling the you shaped hole in my heart."

George took her hands in his. "My dearest weaver, I never expected to find the sweet love that I've found here. You are a force of nature to be reckoned with and I promise to always stay on your good side, since I know not only do I have to worry about you, but your protective family. We each make out own way in life and you've pulled everyone into your orbit. How could I not become another star in your realm? I promise to always provide for our family and to teach them how important waiting for the one is. I love you, with all my heart, and I will never leave you for as long as God grants me breath."

"And now, the couple is going to exchange rings. Philip?" Erin's husband handed the minister the rings and he placed them on his open Bible. "George, repeat after me. With this ring, I thee wed."

"With this ring, I thee wed." He slid the ring onto her finger and smiled at her, blinking back tears.

The minister turned to Penelope, holding out the Bible. She picked up George's ring and repeated the same words. "With this ring, I thee wed." She put the ring on his finger and then clasped his hand as the turned to face the minister once more.

"Penelope, George, as you take this step into the future, remember to keep God in the center of your relationship and no obstacle you face will be too great for you to face. And so, in the eyes of God and your friends, and by the power given to me by the state of Virginia, I pronounce you wife and husband. You may now seal your marriage with a kiss."

George lifted Penelope's veil, letting the gauzy fabric fall behind her head as he bent to kiss her. She lifted her lips to meet his and wrapped her arms around him tightly. After too short a time, they broke the kiss and she smiled up at him.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you now Dr. and Mrs. George Fernlund." The organist began playing Bach's Prelude in C and they started down the aisle. At the double doors to the sanctuary they stopped and stood close together.

"Hello, husband," she whispered, smiling.

"Hello, wife." Taking a deep breath they faced the first of their guests, greeting them as they filed out. Once everyone was out, their families gathered inside to take the final pictures. After all the poses were taken, Penelope decided on one last picture series.

"Erin, I want some of just us." She took off her veil and handed it to JJ and then wrapped her arm around her sister. Erin rested a hand on Penelope's stomach, smiling widely. As the photographer clicked away, Erin turned her head and kissed Penelope's cheek.

"Welcome to the family, Penny. Now everything's official."

"And you'll never get rid of me now."

"I would never want to, my darling girl. Let's get you to your reception." The wedding party went out and got into the waiting limo. Once at the reception site, they exited the vehicle and went into the building in the same order as they'd walked down the aisle.

When Penelope and George entered, they heard the tinkling of bells. She looked at Erin, who shrugged, smiling. Groaning, she turned to her husband and kissed him quickly. By the time they had gotten to their seats at the head table, they had kissed eight more times.

After they'd eaten, she, Erin, and JJ got up and went to the bathroom. There, her sister (and that still felt weird to think) and JJ helped her remove the overskirt of the dress, turning it into a knee-length 50's tea dress.

"Five dances and then we're skipping out to go on our honeymoon. Make certain everyone stays and has a good time, okay, Jayje?"

"Yeah. Oh, I hope you have fun in Barbados."

Erin hugged her tightly, once more spreading her hand out over Penelope's stomach. "Will you let me go with you for some of the checkups? Margaret and I have never been able to co-ordinate schedules. I still feel like I'm playing catch up from all that I've missed."

"I wouldn't dream of leaving you out of this. You've been pregnant three times, you can tell me what to expect. Thank you for being okay with my marrying George."

"I'm gaining a wonderful sister," Erin replied, resting her chin on Penelope's shoulder. "I love you, my darling girl. Let's get back to the party." They went out into the ballroom and George took her arm, leading her onto the dance floor. The DJ nodded at them and began to play 'Jumpin' at the Woodside'. They'd taken enough swing lessons together to be able to dance this and the joy in her heart radiated from the smile on her face.

When the song was over, they danced through two more and then went over to cut the cake. JJ helped plate the first piece, handing them forks. After that ritual came the bouquet toss and Emily caught it, blushing fiercely when Morgan caught Penelope's garter. They all piled onto the dance floor and George maneuvered his wife towards the door.

Erin and Phil came close to them and they switched partners for the rest of the song. "Are you ready to head out for a week of fun in the sun?" Philip asked quietly.

"Yes. It's nice to have connections, Phil. We couldn't afford to rent a villa on the beach in Barbados if Emily hadn't pulled some strings. You don't mind getting up early to drive us to the airport?"

"No, it's the least we can do." The song ended and their last one began. George and Penelope came together once more as Erin and Philip opened the doors for them, allowing them to dance out unnoticed. George bent down and kissed her sweetly as they made their escape.

"All right, let's get you to the hotel," Erin said, leading them over to the car. It was festooned with balloons and streamers, with 'Just Married' written in soap on the back window.

"I do hope Derek realizes you're going to make him clean your car off in the morning."

"That was one of the stipulations of my allowing him to decorate the car. When we get up to take you to the airport, she will be spotless." Penelope felt her jaw drop as she realized Erin had been in on this as well. "At least I said no to the tin cans."

"Thank God for small miracles," she replied dryly, only to hear the men burst out laughing. "What?"

"You sounded so much like Rin-Rin, honey." George helped her into the car and they were off.

Erin sent the guys for drinks in the bar after they'd checked in, while she and Penelope went up to one of the suites they'd rented. Erin set the light overnight bag on the bed and pulled out the lingerie she'd helped Penelope pick out. "Turn and face the wall, Penny, and I'll start untying you."

Penelope felt the dress loosen and held it against her chest while Erin finished her work. She stepped out of the dress and Erin set it on the bed before beginning to unlace the corset. She blushed as she peeled it off her body, covering her breasts with an arm as she handed the corset to Erin. The hip-length teddy was gossamer thin and only vaguely veiled her body. Penelope put on the matching robe Erin handed her, still feeling naked. "Do, do I look okay?" she whispered, looking at Erin uncertainly.

"You look beautiful. Please, sit in front of the vanity. I want to do your hair and makeup, since you so kindly did mine for all those weeks I was ill." Penelope nodded, suddenly overcome with emotion.

Erin took down the elaborate updo the hair dresser had put in and began to carefully brush out the hairspray until Penelope's hair was a halo of gold around her face. Then she pinned one side back with a pale pink feather fascinator. When that was finished, she took off the makeup from the wedding and repainted Penelope's face in the same pale hues as her negligee. Penelope watched her smile as she did these small tasks and marveled in how much everything had changed in a year.

She clasped Erin's hand as she stood. "Thank you."

"This was a small thing, Penny."

"No, thank you for letting me in. For not thinking me a pest when I pushed you out of your comfort zone. For being vulnerable to me. I've said it before, but God knew I needed you in my life." She hugged Erin tightly. "He's replaced the family I lost. I love you."

"I love you, too, my darling girl. I'll see you in the morning." Erin left the room with the dress and corset, and Penelope sat back down at the vanity, staring at herself in the mirror. "I'm Mrs. George Fernlund now. Wife and mother in one fell swoop." She smiled and touched her stomach. Soon, she would be showing and able to feel their child moving in her.

The door opened and she looked over to see George stepping inside. He locked the door before turning to her, the same happy grin on his face. "Good evening, my lovely wife."

"Good evening, my handsome husband." She stood and walked over to him, watching his eyes cloud over with desire. He opened his arms and she stepped into them, engulfed by him. He led her over to the bed, covering her face in kisses.

*~~*~~*

The alarm woke them early the next morning and she stretched against him, reveling in the feel of his body against hers. She kissed his cheek and watched his eyes open slowly. "It's time to get moving, Georgie. We have a plane to catch."

"Off to Barbados we go. Remind me we have to find something spectacular for Emily and her mother as a thank you for arranging this." He kissed her slowly and she purred under the feel of his hands on her hips, drawing her close. "All right, let's get moving." He got out of bed and padded over the bags, bringing them back to the bed.

She opened hers as she stood and pulled on her underwear before zipping the polka dotted dress Erin had packed for her trip. She slipped her feet into the matching heels and then went over to the vanity, washing off the makeup from last night before doing her hair and face for the coming day.

"Penelope." She turned to her husband, smiling, and he snapped a picture of her. She stood up and took the camera from him, taking a picture of them. "You look so lovely this morning."

"Thank you. I think it's loving you that makes me feel so lovely. Are you ready to head down to the lobby? Erin said she and Phil were meeting us there at 4:30."

He nodded and took her arm in his, not wanting to let go of her. The elevator was empty and though she knew there were security cameras watching, she pushed him against the wall and kissed him passionately. He returned the kiss, holding on to her ass as he deepened the embrace. A familiar throat clearing had them springing apart as Erin and Philip got on the elevator.

"You had all night to get that out of your systems," Erin teased.

"We're newlyweds, Rin-Rin. Do you really expect me to keep my hands off this angel who agreed to be my wife."

She laughed and shook her head, patting Penelope on the shoulder. "It's going to be a long week without you, but I don't want you to call, okay? This is your time with George and I don't need to feel included on it."

"Fine. But if I call, you will take it, right?" Erin nodded and Penelope smiled. "Good." While the guys checked out of their rooms, Erin and Penelope went out to the car. As Erin had said would happen, it was sparkling clean. "Morgan did a good job."

"I knew he would. He really is a sweet guy under his tough man exterior." They got in the back and waited for the men to join them, which didn't take long. Once underway, though, Penelope noticed something odd.

"This isn't the way to the airport."

"No, this is Erin's and my gift to you. We hired a private jet to fly you down to Barbados. You'll get there a few hours earlier and won't have to worry about customs coming home."

"Thank you!" Penelope hugged Erin and then kissed her cheek lightly. When they got to the FBI airfield, Phil and George loaded the bags onto the plane while the girls watched. "I'll bring you back something wonderful, Angel Face. I love you."

"I love you, too. Now get on that plane and forget about us for a week. I'll be here when you get home."

"And we'll plan the first meeting with the OB/GYN. I think I want to go to Margaret's, since you said she was so good." She hugged Erin close and kissed her cheek again. "I love you."

"If you keep telling me that, you'll never leave. Go." Erin shooed her away and she laughed as she went up to George, hugging him tightly. "I'd say come back pregnant, but you already are! See you here in a week!" Erin called out as they climbed the stairs.

Once situated on the plane, Penelope snuggled up close to George. "Will you indulge me on one request?" she asked coquettishly.

"I thought I was going to have to ask." Her grin grew as she kissed George soundly, pushing him back in his seat.

*~~*~~*

When they landed in Barbados, Penelope was stiff and satiated. After they'd cleared customs, they hired a taxi to take them to their vacation home. The view was magnificent and Penelope sighed as she found a bouquet of fresh flowers on the front table from her teams.

"Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Fernlund. I'll be your butler-cum-housekeeper for the week." An older man with an English accent stepped into the hall, smiling at them. "Ambassador Prentiss wanted to ensure you were well taken care of during your stay. If you need anything, do not hesitate to ask. My name is Giles and I'll be in the guest house out back. Whenever you need me, just pick up the phone and dial two." He shook their hands and then disappeared upstairs with their luggage, while Penelope gazed up at George.

"We have a butler."

"That we do. Let's go exploring, since Giles seems to have everything under control here." He took her hand and they went down the road into town, stopping in a little café for breakfast. After they ate, they continued on into town, stopping at some boutiques along the way.

"Darling, don't you think this would be perfect for Erin?" She held up a long skirt that was beautifully decorated with exotic flowers, though the background was bright turquoise. "She loves this color."

"Then go ahead and get it, love. I'm sure she'll love it, since it's from you." He kissed her temple and smiled at her. "I'm going to go look around."

Their days fell into an easy rhythm and soon, too soon, it was time to go home. "Did you manage to get all the bags closed, my sweet licorice stick?"

"Yes, though it was difficult. Did you have to buy out every shop on the island?" he teased.

"Hey, most of them are gifts for our friends and family. And I had to get some things for the baby."

"We don't even know is she's a girl or a boy."

"Ha, you think like me. We're so having a girl." She smiled and kissed him, then helped him carry one of the lighter bags downstairs.

"It was so nice having you here, Mr. and Mrs. Fernlund. Please come back and visit us soon," Giles said as he brought down the remaining bags. "I'll go load these in the car." He went outside and Penelope snuggled close to George.

"It's going to be so nice just to leave as soon as we get through security."

"The perks of private transportation."

Penelope giggled. "I can think of another perk I'd like to enjoy on the way home." He laughed at her eyebrow waggle and kissed her forehead.

"I think we can arrange that, my sweet weaver. That was kind of fun last time."

"Kind of fun? How about a whole lot of awesome? 'Cause that's what you were." He opened the car door for her and she got in. He sat next to her and their driver took off for the airport. While the trip had been wonderful, she was anxious to get home and back to the routine of her life.


	15. For the mist, if it comes, or the weeping rain

"Are you ready to head out, Penny?" Erin asked as she popped into Penelope's office. "George is in the lobby, waiting for us."

Penelope looked at her watch. "Oh my goodness, it is that time already. Just give me a few seconds here to finish this search and call Sam with the details." Erin took a seat on the couch and watched her.

She dialed Sam's number and told him all the pertinent details as quickly as she could. "Penelope, do you have somewhere to be?"

"How'd you guess? It's our first prenatal appointment. I think we get to hear the heartbeat and figure out the due date and all that fun stuff."

"You didn't tell me you were pregnant. Congratulations." In the background, she could hear Beth and Prophet give their congratulations, too, and she smiled. "Go, get to your appointment. But you have to call us afterwards to let us know the details."

"Of course, Sam. Talk to you later." She hung up and beamed up at Erin. "All right, let's get going, Angel Face." She stood and they walked out of the bullpen, waiting for the elevator to come. On the ride down, Penelope rubbed her stomach, anticipating the news the doctor would give them. "How's Margaret?"

"Anxious to have the baby. This is the last month and she's on full bed rest until delivery. I'm supposed to go over later and check on her."

"I haven't seen her since I got back from my honeymoon. Could we stop by after my appointment to see her?"

"I suppose we could." The doors opened and George smiled at them as they stepped out.

"Hey girls. I was just about to come up for you."

"Sorry, love, I had to run a last minute search for Sam. Are you in visitor parking?"

"Yes." She took his arm and they went out to his car. The drive to the doctor's office was short and they went in together. George and Erin took a seat along the wall while Penelope checked in.

"Hi, I'm Penelope Fernlund. I'm here for my first appointment with Dr. Nancy Barr."

The receptionist smiled at her and handed over a clipboard. "Fill this out and give it to the nurse when she calls you back."

Penelope sat between Erin and her husband. "Let's see, date of last period, December 12th. Nope, no, uh-uh," she said under her breath as she checked off the boxes on the form. "Okay, so besides ovarian cancer, are there any other diseases that run in the Fernlund family? We're kinda flying blind on my side of things, since my brothers are incommunicado."

"Nothing that I can think of. How about you, Rin-Rin?"

"No, Momma was healthy until the day she died. Daddy's heart attack was due to his smoking, not family history." Erin patted Penelope's shoulder lightly. "We're healthy as horses, normally. I'm the anomaly here."

"The sweetest of anomalies." Penelope winked at her.

"Penelope Fernlund?" She perked up and looked towards the door. The nurse beckoned to her and she stood, followed by George and Erin. "Mrs. Strauss, what are you doing here? It's not time for Margaret to deliver yet."

"I'm here with my sister and brother today, Marnie. Turns out they're expecting, too."

"How wonderful. I take it you recommended Dr. Barr to them."

"How'd you guess?"

"I just had a feeling. Okay, I need you to step up on the scale." Marnie took her weight down but didn't tell her what it was. At Penelope's quizzical look, she said, "We never tell our patients what they weigh unless they ask. We'd rather focus on having a healthy mother and baby than on how much weight is being gained or lost."

"Ah." They followed Marnie back to a room and Penelope hopped up on the table and held out her arm for the blood pressure check. She was pleased that it checked out good and then they were alone, waiting for Dr. Barr.

"You're already getting a bit of a bump," Erin said suddenly, looking at her stomach. "Are you sure you're not further along?"

"I could be. I just know I was supposed to start my period on December 12th and never did. It's now, what, February 6th? That's about seven weeks along, right?"

"Give or take." A woman with short red brown hair entered the room. "Hello Erin, nice to see you again so soon. A mother and an aunt in the same year, how wonderful."

"Isn't it, though?"

"And you must be Penelope and George. I hope we'll have a smooth pregnancy, since this is your first. Have you had any morning sickness?"

"A little. Though my stomach seems to get most upset in the afternoons."

"That's normal for some women. All right, let's check everything out. If you'll lie back and lift up your shirt, I want to examine your stomach." Penelope did as instructed, lifting her shirt to under her breasts. Dr. Barr felt along her abdomen, smiling at whatever she found there.

"All right, let's take an ultrasound of your stomach. Erin's right, you are a little further along than you think." She spread some gel over her stomach and Penelope flinched at the cold. George gripped her hand and she smiled up at him. "Listen, that's the baby's heartbeat. It looks like you're almost three and a half months along. Your due date is around August 19th."

"That means I'll be huge during the summer. Ugh."

"And you can get your family and friends to help you out when you slow down. Do you have any questions about your pregnancy?"

"I don't want to have any needles. I don't like hospitals or needles, really, and want to do it naturally, if possible."

"We can do that, no problem." Dr. Barr cleaned off her stomach and Penelope sat up, smiling at her husband. "Now, I want to see you back here in a month."

The door opened and Marnie stepped inside. "Dr. Barr, Ms. Van Schuur's water's broken and she's headed to the hospital now."

"Well, that's a little earlier than we'd like. I'll see you at the hospital, Erin?"

"As soon as I can get there with Phil." Penelope bit her lip, looking at George in concern. "Let's get moving. I'll call Phil on the way to his office."

Penelope nodded and followed everyone out. "Go start the car while I make my next appointment. I'll be right out." Marnie quickly penciled her in for March 10th and then she hurried out, getting in the passenger seat. "I'd better call Hotch and Sam and let them know what's going on." She pulled out her cell phone and quickly dialed Hotch's number.

"Yeah, Fernie?"

"Really now, you, too, Aaron? Anyway, I won't be back in the office today. We're adding a new member to our family."

"Isn't this a little soon?"

"About a month or so. I don't know how long these things take. I think I'll be back tomorrow."

"And how about you? When are you due?"

"The middle of August."

"All right, I'll tell the others here. See you tomorrow, Fernie."

He hung up before she could protest at the nickname and she stuck her tongue out at the phone. "I will never get used to that name."

"Even Hotch?"

"Yes. And you think this is funny, don't you?"

"Of course." George pulled into the parking lot of Phil's office and idled. He came running out moments later and climbed in the back next to Erin.

"This is it! I remembered to grab the bag for her before I left. Jared sends his regards." They got underway once more and about fifteen minutes later, George was parking in the hospital garage. They got out and Erin and Penelope went up to the Information desk once inside.

"Labor and Delivery is on the sixth floor, and Ms. Van Schuur is in room 628. Dr. Barr is up there and waiting for you." The woman behind the desk smiled at them and pointed to the closest set of elevators. The foursome gathered around and waited for a car to open. The other people streamed out and then they got in.

"Lillian will be here soon," Erin whispered as she grasped her husband and Penelope's hands. "I do hope being a little early is okay."

"Paul was a month early and he turned out fine. I don't think there's anything to worry about," Phil said reassuringly. They got off on the sixth floor and Erin hurried on ahead to find room 628. She stopped and waved them over and Penelope was the first to be at her side.

"Remember, we're going in while you guys wait out here. Maggie didn't want any men in the room with her. As soon as Lillian's here, one of us will get you." Erin went inside and beckoned for Penelope to follow.

"You guys finally got here. What took so long?" Margaret panted out once the door closed.

"I had to pick Phil up from work. Marnie said your water broke already?"

"Uh huh." Margaret grunted as she bore through another contraction. "Lily is really anxious to meet you. Dr. Barr had me hold off on pushing until you got here. I don't think I could have lasted much longer." She took some deep breaths as she looked at Penelope. "And you have a baby bump."

"Yup. I'm due August 19th." She went up to Margaret's side and clasped her hand while Erin pushed the sweat soaked hair from her face.

"Wonderful." Another contraction came and she gripped Penelope's hand tightly. "I'm so never doing this again. Once is enough."

Dr. Barr came in and checked on Margaret's progress. "You're fully dilated, honey, and the head is beginning to crown. Get ready to really bear down with the next contraction." She did as instructed, her face turning read as she pushed.

"How, how did your appointment go, Erin?" Margaret panted through the pain.

"All clear. Hopefully it will be the same in three months. God has been so good to me."

Erin smiled up at them from her position at Margaret's feet. "Wonderful," Margaret said, and then fell silent once more as she pushed through another contraction.

"Here's the head!" Dr. Barr helped pull the baby out and let Erin cut the cord. "She's here!"

The doctor wiped the baby of quickly and then handed her over to Erin. Penelope pulled out her phone and took some pictures of them before the nurse took Lillian and performed all the tests on her. "She's beautiful. Thank you so much for doing this, Maggie."

"It was my pleasure, Erin. One and done."

"You're not going to have any of your own?" Penelope asked, shocked that her declaration remained unchanged.

"Nope. I don't think children and I would be a good fit." She yawned and reclined back in the bed. "You can let Phil and George in now. They should meet the newest member of the family." Penelope nodded and went over to the door, beckoning the men in.

George slipped his arm around Penelope, drawing her close. "Just think, only six more months and this will be us. I can't wait until she's here."

"Neither can I, my love."

*~~*~~*

"Erin, what is so important that I have to come with you right away?"

"You'll see when you get to my office. How are you feeling today?"

"Huge. And it's only the middle of June. I still have two months to go."

"You look radiant. I don't think I glowed half as much as you when I was pregnant. I was too sick the entire time." Erin clasped her hand. "Lillian's dedication is Sunday. The pastor said there was going to be a large turnout, since it's, how'd he put it? Oh yes, a miracle story. Are you going to be feeling well enough to go?"

"I hope so, I just never thought the sickness would continue on this long. I hate missing church so often. It's been nice, though to have Reid and Morgan checking in on me and emptying my sick bucket when I needed it done. Margaret dislikes the bad things I see just as much as I do." Penelope rubbed her stomach gently, a smile spreading across her face. "And how is my Lily doing?"

"Wonderfully. She's holding her head up and looking around at things. I think she's going to look like me, when she gets older." Erin opened the door to her office, smiling at Margaret. "Did I miss anything while I was gone?"

"No, everything's in order, Ma'am."

"Excellent." Erin opened the inner office door and Penelope frowned a bit, noticing how dark it was in there.

"It's a beautiful day, Angel Face. Why are your shades drawn?" she asked as she stepped inside the room.

"Surprise!" cried a number of voices as Erin flipped on the lights. Penelope felt her eyes well up as she looked around at all her friends gathered in Erin's office.

"How did you manage to do this?" She turned to Erin, who was smiling brightly.

"It was easy, Baby Girl. You've been so focused on incubating our little princess that you never heard us talking about this." Morgan led her over to Erin's sofa and helped her to sit down. "Now, what would you like first, presents or cake?"

"Oh, let's go with the cake while my stomach still feels well," Penelope replied. Hotch cut the cake and handed around the pieces. "Honey, you're here!" she squealed as she saw George enter the room.

"Sorry we're late, we ran into unexpected traffic." He bent down and kissed Penelope's cheek and then sat next to her. "Someone's anxious to see her mommy, too."

Erin looked up at the door and saw Phil standing there, holding Lillian. "Lily!" She went to her husband's side and kissed him, taking the child from his arms.

"Aunt Penny want her Lils next," she said after swallowing a bite of cake.

"Not if Morgan gets her first." The man held out his arms and Erin handed the baby over so she could finish eating. "She's cute as a ladybug," he cooed at the baby, running his finger over her cheeks. Lily gurgled happily, latching onto one of his fingers.

"Okay, can we do presents now?" Gina asked, smiling with excitement.

"Anxious to get out of the office?" Penelope teased gently.

"Very funny, Garcia."

"I know, I try. And thank you for not using my ridiculous nickname."

"Here, Fernie, open my gift first." Hotch handed her a large present while she glared at him. "The more you react like that, the more we'll use it, you know."

"Whatever. Who's going to keep track of my loot?"

"I will, Penny." Erin sat on her other side and took out her iPad. "I'll just email this to you when the party's over."

Penelope nodded and opened the card Hotch had attached to the package. As she opened it, a check fell out onto her lap. "Oh my gosh, Hotch, this is too much. Really, I don't know what to say."

"Then go on and open the present. Jack helped pick it out for her." She nodded and pulled off the paper, revealing a coffee maker box.

"I don't think Peggy is going to need caffeine straight from my womb."

"Look inside the box. What you see is not always what you get."

She smiled at him, recalling she had said something similar to him once about Erin. As she pulled out the flap from the box, she looked in, seeing an assortment of baby clothes. "These are beautiful. Hotch…"

"Only the best for our princess, Penelope. We've all had boys, so your daughter will be spoiled. Get used to it."

She shook her head, wiping away tears. It was so nice to have a wonderful found family like hers.

*~~*~~*

"Thank you, God, for letting me feel better today," Penelope said as she got dressed slowly, her stomach flexing under Margaret's kicks. "Just a few more weeks and you'll be here with us." George joined her in the bedroom and zipped her dress, wrapping his arms around her waist.

"Ready to go, love?"

"I think so." She slipped on some flats and then took George's hand. They went down to the kitchen and she found he had breakfast ready for her. "Thank you." She picked up the peanut butter covered poppy seed bagel as she walked by the counter and grabbed her phone and purse on her way out the door.

Erin waved them over to their pew the moment they came in. "You made it!" She hugged Penelope as close as she could, kissing her cheek. "Do you want to hold Lily until Phil and I are called up front?"

"Of course!" She took the child from Phil's arms and nestled down into the seat, cooing at Lily. "Your cousin is going to be here shortly, Lillian. I wonder if she's going to look like you, since you're starting to look more and more like your mommy and Uncle George."

While the sang the opening congregational hymns, George held the hymnal for her. She smiled, cuddling up close to him as a wave of contentment swept over her. She sat back down and rocked the baby gently.

"It's almost time, my darling girl," Erin whispered as she took Lily from her arms. Penelope smiled, hearing the pastor begin his introduction of the couples getting their children dedicated that morning.

When he said Erin and Philip's name, they stood and made their way to the front. Penelope pulled out her camera from her purse and began to take pictures of her niece and family. "…and finally, we have the Strauss family. Many of you shared in Erin's struggle with cancer last year, praying for her and hoping for a miracle. The family received it twofold – her current clean bill of health and a child lovingly carried for them by a friend. They have come forward today, much like Hannah did with Samuel to dedicate their child to God's will, and ask for your prayers and support of them.

"Erin and Philip, do you promise to raise Lillian Penelope Strauss in the way of God, to do all the things necessary to make her path easy and lighted on the way of the Lord?"

"We do."

"And do you, their friends and family, promise to do everything in your power to make their path easy, to ensure that Lillian grows with God, and to encourage them as they raise their child?"

"We do."

The pastor smiled at them and then prayed over the children. Erin and Phil rejoined them and Erin placed her hand over Penelope's. The joy that shone from her face made Penelope smile and she scooted closer to Erin, suddenly craving closeness to her.

*~~*~~*

"One and done. Just like Maggie, one and done," Penelope panted out as the next contraction hit her. George was still in a budget meeting for his department, so it was Erin and Emily who were holding on to Penelope's hands for the moment.

"I'm sure you'll feel differently once you hold Peggy," Emily said soothingly, brushing the hair out of Penelope's face.

"Oh no, no matter how good the sex is, this is not happening again."

Erin just smiled at her. "Only children can be more of a handful than having two or more. Believe me."

Penelope shook her head vehemently. "I think I'm almost ready to take the needle with the drugs. Dr. Barr never said it would hurt this much."

"It's a good pain, my darling. You're bringing a new life into the world. I can't wait to hold my niece."

"Not before her father gets to hold her, Rin-Rin."

"George!" Penelope let go of Emily's hand and reached out to her husband. He went to her side and she latched onto his tie, pulling him down close. "This is never happening again, do you hear me? Never."

"It's nice to see you, too, my love. I'm certain once you see Peggy, your mind will change."

"Emily said the same thing to me. I didn't believe her, either." Dr. Barr came in and checked on Penelope's progress, and then smiled up at them.

"Well, she's moved into the final birthing position. I think your daughter will very shortly be making her appearance in the world. I'll stay here with you until you deliver now. Do you want to watch and catch the baby, George?"

"Could I?" He thrust the camera he'd been holding at Emily. "Take pictures of this, will you, Emily? My, our, first child!"

"Honey, pictures? Really?" He nodded eagerly, a wide smile on his face. Penelope sighed and then grimaced as another contraction washed over her. Unconsciously, she bore down, holding tightly to the hand Emily had once more let her hold.

"Not so tight, PG. I need to be able to fire my gun."

"Very funny, Em. Oh, why does this hurt so much?"

"Do you want to Biblical answer to that question?" Erin responded.

Penelope fixed her best steely gaze on her sister. "You pick now to be a smart ass?" Erin just laughed as Emily took a picture of her sticking her tongue out. "I am so remembering this for later." She bore down once more and could actually feel her baby move. It was both amazing and creepy and she smiled at Erin.

"All right, just a few more pushes like that and she'll be here." Penelope nodded and pushed again, screaming primally as the baby slipped further down her birth canal. "There's the head. Get ready, George."

"This is it, my sweet weaver. Margaret Erin is almost here!" He squatted down next to Dr. Barr and held out his hands as she pushed one last time. As she watched, George held onto her head as Dr. Barr guided her out of Penelope's body. She cut the cord and Penelope began to cry as she heard their baby fuss and wail, waving her tiny fists in the air. "She's perfect."

Penelope held out her arms and George handed over the baby. She giggled slightly as Margaret began to root around her breasts. "I need to wash her off and take her vitals before you feed her. It will only take a moment." Their nurse smiled as she took the baby.

"Why don't I get you cleaned up while they're doing that? George, Emily, go tell the others the good news." Erin took charge quickly and Penelope was grateful for this efficiency in her. Erin helped her to stand on her slightly rubbery legs and led her over to the bathroom. Closing the door, she had Penelope sit on the toilet as she dug out a fresh cotton nightgown that buttoned up the front. Then she ran a washcloth under warm water before tugging off the sweaty, bloody garment she wore.

"Erin, I can do the bits down there, if you'd do something with my hair. It feels so yucky, you know?" Her sister nodded and Penelope quickly cleaned herself up while Erin pulled her hair back into a tight French braid. While Penelope pulled on the nightgown, Erin dug out a package from the bag.

"Here."

"What's this?"

"Just something I made for you in my spare time. Go on, open it." Penelope opened the box and pulled out a gorgeous hand-knit blanket. "You needed something special for when you nurse Peggy."

"Thank you, Angel Face." She stood unsteadily and hugged Erin before letting her lead them back into the room. The bed had new linens and as Penelope climbed in, the nurse brought her baby back, now dressed in one of the outfits Hotch and Jack had gotten her. She unbuttoned her nightgown and held Peggy to her breast.

As Peggy latched on and began to suckle strongly, there came a knocking on the door. Hurriedly, she covered herself and nodded at Erin, who went and let them in.

"So, what are the vitals on Princess Margaret?" Morgan asked as they all entered.

"Let's see, eight pounds, two ounces; twenty one and a half inches long. She has the slightest bit of blonde fuzz covering her head. And did I mention perfect?" George said, reading off the birth certificate.

"I'd let you hold her, but she hasn't finished eating yet." Penelope looked around at her family, smiling happily. "However, I'm sorry to say, Auntie Erin has first dibs when Peggy's done."

"That's not fair. You just about crushed my hand and she still gets to hold her first?"

"Well, I am family, Emily." Erin took a seat at the foot of the bed, and the others relaxed in the room, George taking pictures of everything, documenting this wonderful day.


	16. Will be changed by the light into sunshine again

"Mom! Tabby and Gideon won't stop following me and Lily! They're being so annoying!" Penelope smiled at her daughter's dramatic declaration and beckoned her closer.

"Honey, it's their fourth birthday today. They're excited to be having a party with all our family." She adjusted Camilla; switching her to her other breast and covering herself with the knitted nursing blanket Erin had given her so many years ago. Today was not just a celebration of the twin's birthday, but hopefully they would receive the news they had been waiting so many years for.

"Willa's dry now," George said, carrying the two year old. "She almost made it to the potty in time this time."

"Mom!"

"Go, let them play with you. We'll have food in a few minute, once Aunt Erin and Uncle Phil come back. You know they're picking up Lizzie at the airport."

"Fine." She stomped off and Penelope giggled at her eldest child.

"How did we get such a drama queen for a daughter?"

"Well, it didn't help that we all spoiled her until the twins arrived. Once she lost the center of attention, she does anything to get it back. Did Rin-Rin tell you about the results at all?"

"Not a single word. I know she got them at work yesterday, but neither Maggie nor I were able to see them."

"Hey, Baby Girl, where do the gifts go?"

Penelope looked up at Morgan, who was carrying two large packages. "Over on the table next to the cake. Jayje! You're here!"

"Like we'd miss this. Henry, Jack's over there playing with the other kids. Why don't you join him?" Her son nodded and ran off as Penelope stood and hugged JJ. "Let me see her. I'm sorry we were away for her birth."

"Not a problem," Penelope said as she quickly fixed her blouse, handing Camilla to JJ. "Family comes first, as it always should."

"Yeah, well, you're family, too. She's so beautiful." JJ stroked Camilla's face gently, rocking back and forth on her feet as she cooed at her. "I thought it was one and done? She's number five."

"I think we're officially done. I had the implant put in after Camilla was born, so there'll be at least five years between her and any siblings. God was bountiful to us, but we're at the max, you know?"

"I wish we did."

"Oh, Jayje, I'm sorry. I completely forgot. Forgive me?"

"Of course, Penny. I just wish we'd been able to have another." She smiled gently and handed the baby back to Penelope. "Enough sadness, today is a joyous day. Have you heard anything about the results?"

"No. It's been bothering me since yesterday. I was with her when she got the letter and she just stuck it in her purse without opening it. I would have opened it first thing."

"Oh, me too. Then again, she might have wanted for us all to be together when she found out. Good or bad, as family, we'll all be there for her."

Penelope smiled and went over to the rest of the crowd, leading JJ and Will. "Hey Paul, how's school going?"

"It's all the easy pre-reqs. I'm breezing through everything, even with carrying a twenty four credit course load. I can't wait until I get into the fun science courses."

"My brother, the geek. I can't wait to get up to Julliard. It can't be August soon enough." Zoë hugged Penelope and then tickled Camilla's cheek. "May I hold my newest cousin?"

"Sure." Penelope handed the child over for the third time that afternoon. Zoë looked thrilled to have the baby and she went over to the swing set, sitting down and rocking back and forth gently.

"We raised good families, didn't we, my darling girl?"

Turning, Penelope face Erin. "That we did. Is Lizzie here?"

"Yes, and her boyfriend. They're in the same premed track at Michigan State." She waved her daughter over and Lizzie dragged said boyfriend with her.

"Aunt Penny, I'd like you to meet Noah Mieras. Noah, this is my aunt."

"Pleasure to meet you, Ma'am."

"We don't hold much for formality here. Penelope is fine," she said as she shook his hand.

"Or Fernie. She really loves that nickname."

"Derek Morgan, did you wake up and decide today was a good day to die?" Penelope asked angrily as she glared at him.

"You know I love you, Baby Girl. Now that everyone's here, are we ready to start eating?" She nodded and he piled the burger and hot dogs onto platters, setting them on the table with the other food. The kids descended like vultures the moment they knew the food was there. Once everyone was seated around the picnic tables that George, Phil, and Morgan had spent the week setting up, George prayed over the food and they dug in.

"Mommy, can we open out presents now? Gid and I are done eating." Tabitha smiled up at her, excitement bringing out the wiggles in her.

"In a few minutes. The grownups are almost done." Tabitha nodded, her lip pouting as she began to walk away.

"Tabby, come here and sit by me. I'm all finished," Lizzie said, patting the empty spot next to her. The little girl ran over to her beloved cousin and sat down, chattering happily away. Penelope looked towards Erin and Phil and saw they were deep in conversation as well.

"Hey, Weaver-girl, are you going to help me put the leftovers away?" She looked up at George and nodded. As she got up, Camilla started crying and she smiled at her husband as she took the baby from Erin.

"We'll help you." Emily nudged Aaron's side, prodding him up.

As the others went inside, Erin herded the children over to the gift table. "Peggy, Lily, will you help me give presents to Tabby and Gid?" They nodded and went to her side as Penelope changed and then fed Camilla. George came up to her side a few minutes later, wrapping his arm around her waist. Erin took this as her cue to have the older girls start giving the twins their gifts.

"I love you," George whispered as he kissed her cheek.

"I love you, too." Penelope snuggled close to him, sighing with contentment.

Present opening lasted less than ten minutes as their children tore into the packages, running and hugging the giver of the gift and giving sloppy kisses on cheeks. Mick's gift went over the best – he had given them bubble guns shaped like lions, and they both clambered to play with them.

Once everything was open and the young ones were playing with the new toys, Phil went into the house. Erin cleared her throat and every eye was instantly on her. A hesitant smile spread across her face as she made eye contact with Penelope. "As I'm sure you all know by now, I received the results of my visit with Dr. Elijah on Friday." She broke off, swiping her eyes free of tears. "It's the best news I could have possibly gotten. I am officially cancer free."

Penelope burst into tears and stepped forward into Erin's open arms. Soon, they were surrounded by their family in a giant hug. Camilla fussed and then began to wail, beating her tiny fists against Penelope's chest. "Angel Face," she whispered, still holding on to Erin as the others backed off.

"Let me take my niece. The rest of our lives begins right now and I can't wait to see what the future brings." Erin kissed Penelope's cheek softly as Phil opened the first bottle of champagne. It was time to celebrate. There was sunshine in their lives once again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The poem that this story took it's title and chapter headings from is called "Sunshine Again" by George MacDonald


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